The promise I intend to keep
by WinkyCutto
Summary: In trying to right a wrong that he created Hook finds out quickly that not all villians are as keen as he is to put those dark days behind them. My take on what happens directly after Ursula tosses Hook over the side of the Jolly Roger in "Poor Unfortunate Soul", AU in the fact that Emma is not in full control of her magic just yet.
1. Chapter 1

**So here we are again as I start my second fic... I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

"HAVE A NICE SWIM CAPTAIN"

Ursula's voice rang out across the open sea as Killian hit the water with enough force to knock the wind straight from his lungs, his chest seized up and refused to move. He floated just below the surface in a stupor, all coherent thoughts gone but just as suddenly as his breath had left him it tried to return when he unconsciously tried to drag in air to his oxygen starved lungs. Instantly coming back to reality as the freezing cold water surged down his throat.

He burst through the surface coughing like a dying dog, arms flailing wildly looking for something, anything to hold on to. He dipped back below as what seemed to be a huge waved washed over him. Surging back up, launching himself high above the surf he was just in time to see that it was not a true wave but the wake from his very own ship. He watched in horror as the Jolly moved further away, the damned sea witch had taken her after he had only just managed to bring her back into his possession.

He unexpectedly dipped beneath the surface again, the weight of his leather jacket was proving to be too much, it felt like it had doubled in weight and was perpetually dragging him towards the sea bed. He knew that he needed to lose it now or he would never make it back to shore. It was awkward as hell but he managed to struggle his way out of it and just as black dots were starting to dance in his vision he broke the surface gasping for breath once more.

Treading water he gave a very wet cough as he tried to get the last of the sea water from his lungs, Gods it was cold. He gave a shiver as the cold tendrils of the sea wound their way towards his very soul, he needed to get out of the water as soon as possible or he was going to freeze to death.

He could see the docks in the distance, the witch must have taken him further out before throwing him overboard. With a sigh he struck out for shore but before too long he realized two things, one he needed to lose his shoes, they were filling with water and making it difficult to make any headway and two, he seemed to be caught in an ebb and no matter how hard he swam, although getting closer to shore he was getting further from the town.

He shucked his shoes and tried to gather his thoughts, the cold was making it really hard to concentrate, his teeth chattered uncontrollably as he searched for the shoreline again, the last thing he needed was to start swimming in the wrong direction, eyes locking with the tree line he kicked off once more, determination flowing through him with every stroke.

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Emma burst through Gold's cabin door and stalked calmly across the floor to stand in front of August, keeping Cruella in her sights at all times.

"I'm here for my friend" she said

"So the savior found us, did she?" Cruella sneered back

Cruella seemed to pull a gun from nowhere and aimed it straight at Emma's head, working on instinct alone Emma raised her arms into a defensive pose and readied herself for what was about to come but in the next instance Cruella slumped to the floor as a resounding clang echoed through the cabin. Her Mom stood where Cruella had been seconds before, a frying pan clutched in her hand.

"Nice one Mom" Emma praised as she lowered her arms.

"Well, first thing you learn as a bandit, back door's usually unlocked" She replied with a curt nod

Emma moved back to August, concern flooding her as she took in his appearance.

"August are you OK? Did they hurt you?"

"I'll survive" he sighed out in a relieved tone.

Her Dad moved quickly and untied her friend from the chair, August gave her a smirk as she crouched in front of him, he looked tired but otherwise alright.

"It's good to have you back" she smiled "Even if it isn't the way things were... supposed to be. I'm glad I didn't have to wait 20 years to see you as you again"

"Me Too" August replied with a chuckle

"Come on let's get you out of here"

Emma grinned widely and stood up, turning to leave only to come face to face with Ursula as she stood in the doorway to the cabin.

"No one is going anywhere" the witch commanded

"Where the hell is Hook?" Panic rose quickly in Emma "What'ya do to him?"

Ursula circled around her to come into the room, a smirk firmly on her face.

"Sorry sweetheart, your boyfriend is Shark bait"

What? What had she done? Emma's heart raced in her chest, she had to find him. Panic changed to anger, her features grew dark as the rage bubbled inside her. Ursula took a tentative step backwards, a glint of fear in her eyes.

"WHAT... DID... YOU...DO?" Emma grit out

But the witch made a move that no one was prepared for, one of her long tentacles snaked out and grabbed her Mom by the throat.

"NO" a chorus of voices rang out

"Back off" Ursula snarled.

Emma's rage grew, she could feel her magic crackling just below the surface, threatening to escape her at any second. Sparks jumped ominously from her fingertips but Ursula just tightened her grip around Mary-Margaret's throat and grinned widely

"It seems our savior still has not got full control of her magic, especially when it comes to the ones she loves. Pity, if I'd known earlier I might not have disposed of the Pirate so quickly. Don't worry, he didn't suffer...too much. I have to say it was quite amusing to watch him get his ship back in one minute then be thrown overboard in the next"

Ursula's roar of laughter was cut off abruptly as a white pulse shot from Emma's hand without her consent and struck her right on her forehead, the witches eyes rolled into the back of her head and he simply tumbled backwards landing on the floor in a heap. Mary-Margaret lurched forward rasping in great lungfuls of air as David caught her.

"What did you do?" August asked, eyes wide in wonder.

"I have no idea, and right now I don't have time to care. We need to find Hook. Dad we need to organize a search, can you get Leroy to gather the dwarves and meet us down at the docks. We need boats in the water and search teams along the shore line ASAP. I'm going to lock this bitch up, if she comes too before I get her to the station she WILL tell me where Hook went in the water or so help me God, she won't know what has hit her."

David and Mary-Margaret rushed from the cabin, they had a Pirate Captain to find. Emma just prayed that he was alright, she knew that he always said that he was a survivor but her worry would not leave until she found him... she needed to find him. She stared at the witch by her feet, August coming up to her side.

"Need a hand?" he asked her with a soft smile

"How about two" she grit out "Grab her legs"

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Killian was exhausted, his strokes had become little more than thought as the cold water stole away his strength. He fell beneath the surface of the water for what felt like the millionth time, the only thing bringing him back to himself was another involuntary lungful of water. Breaking the surface he coughed and retched as the sea water went down his gullet, he could feel it sitting heavily in his stomach adding nausea to his already miserable state.

He couldn't do it, he didn't have the strength to carry on. He now floated on his back with his eyes closed, he was shivering so hard that it seemed to be stealing his breath away, he could no longer feel his arms or legs and knew that it would not be long before he lost consciousness, it looked like the seas that he had sailed for centuries would finally claim his soul.

"You promised me, you told me that I didn't need to worry about you, you told me that the one thing you were good at was surviving, were you lying to me?" Emma's voice popped into his foggy brain.

"Never L've" he slurred back but that's where it ended, he just didn't have the energy to say anymore.

"Everybody I have ever been close to has left me... Please don't leave me too" A picture of her heartbroken face appeared in his head, tears streaming down her face and it was too much, he had to make this better.

"I'll be a'righ' L've, I prom'se" he managed to slur as he started to move his limbs once more, trying in vain to reach the shore.

In minutes he was back to floating again, completely oblivious to his surroundings. He bobbed along without direction now caught in the tide that was slowly pulling him into shore. Images flitted through his brain of moments in his life, good times and bad alike but the Pirate didn't stir, he no longer shivered, too cold even for that.

He felt something touch his head, at first he thought that he had imagined it but in seconds it happened again. He reached out blindly trying to push whatever it was away but it was pretty solid, his hand too cold to send any kind of message to his brain left him with no other option, he had to open his eyes and look. He craned his head and squinted against the light, there in front of him was a giant fallen tree, it had obviously not been in the water too long as the bark was still intact and there were still needles on the the few remaining branches that had not been broken off by the harsh seas.

A rush of adrenalin kicked in as he realized that he could use this to his advantage, he twisted himself back onto his front and reached out to grab the nearest branch put he quickly found that his hand was too cold to allow him to hold on. He was so close to being able to help himself but now his own damned body was betraying him. He looked up, trying to figure out a way to hold on and could only come up with one answer. With herculean strength he lifted his hooked hand from the water and smashed it into the trunk of the tree where it wedged itself and stayed.

The tree gave a lurch as the first wave from the shore caught hold of it, lifting it high before dropping in back down with the Pirate still firmly attached to it's side. He managed to give a tired grin, he was caught in the tide now, it was only a matter of time before he, along with the tree hit the shore. A bigger wave caught him by surprise, sending water crashing into his face leaving him gasping for breath once more but before he had time to recover another one hit and another. All to quickly Killian realized his mistake, he had attached himself to the tree with no way of freeing himself and now the tree was being thrown about in the surf.

He tried to yank his arm free but it was well and truly stuck, another wave hit him and he disappeared below the surface again as the tree rolled. He had no time to think as the next wave hit and the tree rolled the opposite way, a searing pain streaked through him as he felt his shoulder wrench from it's socket. His heart was slamming against his ribs as he tried to get his bearings but the waves just kept on coming and when he felt the unmistakable raw agony of his left forearm snapping just above his brace it was too much and he descended into darkness, unaware of the damage that the waves and tree were inflicting on his already battered body.

Finally the tree came to rest in a small cove just south of the town, the Pirate lay at an impossible angle, hook still wedged in the tree, the rest of his body half on the sand half still caught in the tide as it slowly receded. His body was hypothermic, broken and bloodied but he was still alive, he had made a promise, a promise that he intended to keep whether he was conscious or not, so far he had managed it but his journey had only just began, he lay there unknowing of his fate as a ray of sunshine broke through the clouds and shone down upon his battered form.

 **So as we all know I do like a bit of a cliffhanger so here is the first of many lol**


	2. Chapter 2

**Awwww... you guys made me so happy with your reviews. Glad that you have joined me for this story too. * waves ***

Emma was driving through town, August was by her side and Ursula lay passed out in the backseat of the bug. In all honesty she didn't know what she had done to the witch. Her eyes took in the woman's slack features in the rear view mirror and Emma sighed, Ursula didn't look like she was waking up anytime soon. She had been on her way to the station but a sudden thought had her turning at the top of dock street and heading towards the harbor instead.

"Thought you were taking her to the station?" August said raising a surprised brow.

"I was... but now I'm hoping you will do that for me! I need to get out there, you know, I need to find him and she is not waking up anytime soon so is gonna be no help to me whatsoever. Please will you do this for me? All you need to do is take her there and lock her in one of the cells then you need to rest, you look beat. Go find your Dad..." she trailed off as he lifted his hand

"Of course I'll do it Emma but then I am helping with the search. I can see how much Hook means to you, it's written all over your face." he gave her a warm smile as they pulled up close to the edge of the pier.

"Thank you" was all she said, there was no need for any other words.

Emma looked out across the dock, there were people milling about everywhere but right there in the middle of all the action was her Dad. Where he had managed to get all these people from so quickly was beyond her, she hadn't been that far behind her parents when they left the cabin! She threw her door open and leapt out, stepping carefully so as not to fall over the edge and into the water.

"Dad" she yelled and his eyes came up to meet her's

He immediately said something to Leroy, clapped him on the shoulder then jogged over to where she stood by the bug.

"What you doing here? I thought you were going to the station first"

"Well it looks like I may have incapacitated the witch for longer than I hoped so August is going to take her the rest of the way." Emma replied giving August a little smile as he came up to stand next to them.

"I'll just drop her off then come back, I can help. Where do you need me?" August spoke to her Dad

"Being honest right here, I need someone to co-ordinate. Normally Mary-Margaret would do it but with Neal I think it is going to be a struggle."

"No problem, that I can do" he smiled

"Anda I cana help" a voice came from nowhere

Emma turned to see Marco striding over, eyes full of emotion. He came to a standstill in front of August, raised his arms and pulled him to his chest.

"My boy, I thoughta I hada lost you again"

"I'm fine Papa." August soothed as he hugged Marco back.

Emma was so busy watching the happy reunion that she failed to notice as the sea witch slithered her way from the bug and stalked over to the edge of the pier.

"STOP" David yelled and Emma spun around just in time to see Ursula send her tentacles out over the side of the harbor and down towards the water. She turned and smiled the widest smile.

"You should have killed me when you had the chance" she cackled, throwing her head back in laughter. She finally dipped the end of the tentacle into the sea and in an instant she transformed into what looked like a giant green oil slick that seeped over the edge of the harbor, disappearing into the water below.

"NOOOOO" Emma screeched running forward to the spot, damn it, she had gotten away.

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Ariel broke the surface yet again, where had he gone? She didn't know who it was that had hit the water but she knew that someone had. She had stayed back at first unwilling to attract the attention of Ursula for any reason but in doing so had lost sight of the man.

She ducked back down and spotted something in the murky water, a dark shape floating beneath the waves. Her heart sank, he must have been taken by the sea after all. She dived down further reaching out for the figure but was confused when it had no weight to it, it wasn't a person, it was just their outer garment, what did they call it again? A coat? They must have pulled it off to make swimming easier. She kept hold of it and surfaced again so that she could see it better in the sunlight.

The "coat" was made of leather and was very heavy, she could see why the man had removed it, it was beautiful in her eyes and the thought of keeping it for her own collection of human possessions was practically overwhelming. Guilt bit at her for a second or two as she remembered that the poor man had probably died but there was nothing she could do about that now. She raised her gaze from the jacket and realized that she was quite close to the shore, she could just make out the sandy beach. Swimming forward with one thought in mind, she needed to get out of the water and try this "coat" on but as she moved something caught her eye, what was that? Something was glinting in the sun further up the shore.

Changing direction she surged forward swimming up shore until she could finally make out what had caught her eye. Ariel gasped, her hand coming up to cover her mouth at the horrible sight before her.

Hook! It was Hook that had been thrown into the water, of course it was, it had been his ship after all! She was such and idiot, why had she not thought of that before. She hit the shore, instantly dropping the leather coat and retrieving her bracelet, popping it on her wrist. She stood quickly and ran to the Pirate as he lay face down on the sand, falling to her knees by his side.

"Hook!" she almost whispered

He was battered, scraped and a watery trickle of blood seeped down the side of his face from a cut she could see behind his right ear. The Pirate had betrayed her the last time they had met but she couldn't help feeling the pain that he had obviously gone through in the last hour. She carefully leant forward making sure not to get too close, she didn't know what to do, was he even breathing?

"Hook... please wake up" she whispered but the Pirate remained still

She started to reach forward to check his breathing but stopped short, what if he was dead? She had never touched a dead human before and it frightened her but in the end the need to know if he was alive overrode her fear and she finally placed her wet hand in front of his slightly open mouth.

"Thank goodness, you are alive" she breathed out as she felt his breath puff out against her skin

But now this raised a whole new issue, how was she going to get him back to town? She looked at his hook wedged in the trunk and jumped up grabbing it, she yanked it hard but it didn't so much as move even a tiny bit, it was jammed solid. There was no way that she could free it and even if she could she didn't really want to pull him back into the sea, he was already frigid and human's did not do well with the cold. She would have to go to town and bring someone back. She jumped up and ran back to the coat, picked it up and ran back to it's owner. It wasn't much and it was very wet itself but perhaps it would help to warm him a little. She placed the coat over his back and stepped away to look at the cove he was in, she would need to be able to describe it and it's location. She suddenly realized that if whoever was going to come was coming by land they could possibly miss Hook, he was lying behind the huge tree, no one would see him.

She gave it some thought for a few seconds then darted up the beach, picked up a stick and drew a big arrow on the sand that pointed to the fallen Pirate, no one could miss that. She gave a satisfied smile then ran back into the surf pulling her bracelet off and slipping beneath the waves, she moved quickly with one destination in mind, she had to get to Storybrooke, she had to find help fast.

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David and Emma were moving quickly, they had driven down the coast as far as the town line then headed for the shore. They both carried back packs filled with medical supplies and provisions, if the Pirate had been in the water for any length of time he was going to be cold and the day was only going to get colder as the sun dropped in the sky, they had to find him sooner rather than later.

Emma stumbled over a loose rock and David reached out to save her from face planting into the ground but no words were exchanged they just carried on like nothing had happened. The surface was hard work, there was no path, they were literally just scrambling along the coast stopping every few minutes to look for any sign of Hook. David hoped that they'd find him soon, this was bad enough for him but the tortured look that Emma wore on her face was breaking his heart.

They trudged on for what seemed like an eternity until they finally broke out on to a wide cove. David stopped and pulled his back pack off his sweat covered back.

"Come on Dad, keep going" Emma raised her arms in frustration.

"Just hang on for one minute. Here, drink this while I check the map" He thrust a bottle of water at his daughter, he did not need her dehydrating herself.

"Devil's Cove" he read aloud

"What?!" Emma gave him a confused look between gulps

"We're in Devil's cove, it's about half way between the town line and Storybrooke" he replied sticking the map back in the bag and taking a bottle of water for himself.

"GREAT, we're already half way back and there's no sign of him" Emma muttered under her breath

"Hey, we don't even know if he is this side of town. The others might have more luck further up the coast" he soothed

"I just need to know that he's OK" she sighed out

"I know" he replied, he had nothing else he could add, he couldn't tell that it would be OK when he didn't know if it was true, he wouldn't lie to her.

He shoved the now empty bottle into his bag and stood up swinging it around to put it back on his back when something on the sand caught his attention. He frowned, trying to see what it was. It was an arrow! Someone had drawn a huge arrow in the sand. Hook! If he could do that he must be alright. A huge grin appeared on his face.

"What?" Emma said, turning quickly to follow his gaze.

"I think we may just have found our Pirate" He pointed to the arrow before heading off at a jog towards the large tree trunk that Hook must have been sheltering behind.

"Pretty cool spot you picked..." His witty comment died on his lips as he came round the root end to find Hook lying face down in the sand, clearly not conscious.

Emma thumped into his back as he stopped dead in his tracks.

"What?! Dad?"

"Emma, stay there" he put his arm out to stop her from moving, her eyes followed his gaze and she gasped at the sight before them.

"Promise me you won't move until I tell you. If... you know... he's not OK... I don't want you to see that" he said turning to look her straight in the eye.

She simply nodded her head, tears already falling from her lashes.

David pulled in a deep breath and turned back to the Pirate, he better be alive or so help him he would find a way to bring him back just so he could kill him again for doing this to his girl.


	3. Chapter 3

**So we move on, are David and Emma too late? Will they manage to save our poor Pirate? Only one way to find out...**

 **P.S. Please review, I'm not sure what everyone is thinking, is the story worth carrying on with?**

Ariel popped her head above the water as she approached the harbor, she could see a few people moving about on the dock and it seemed like they were organizing themselves into groups and heading off in different directions. They must be about to search for Hook. Her heart jumped as she saw Snow talking to a short bearded man who was standing next to quite a small boat and Henry, she knew right away that she had to reach her friend.

"SNOW" she yelled waving her hand in the air.

Snow's head shot up but she looked towards the dock obviously thinking the voice came from the land. Ariel knew she had to get closer so she ducked back beneath the waves and swam as fast as she could coming back up right by the wooden structure.

"Snow, here, in the water" she yelled again

This time Snow's face turned the right way, her face lighting up when she finally saw Ariel below her.

"Ariel, what are you doing here? Now really isn't a very good time, you see we are looking for..."

"HOOK" Ariel shouted out and Snow froze, confusion clear on her face.

"How did you know?" Snow's face fell into a frown.

"I know where he is, you need to come quickly Snow, he's hurt" Ariel answered quickly

"What? Where is he Ariel?"

"I little bit down the coast, in a sandy cove but he doesn't look good, come on, I can show you but we need to leave now" Ariel needed to make her understand that they needed to move quickly.

"OK Ariel, I'll get Leroy and Henry to follow you in Leroy's boat but I need to stay here, I have a baby now, I can't leave him. I can speak to David though I'll let him know what's happening. He and Emma headed down the coast earlier to search along the shore maybe they are closer and will be able to get there first."

"Alright, are the others ready to go?" Ariel asked looking over to the men at the boats

"They will be moving in two minutes, I promise"

Snow gave her an encouraging smile before turning and ushering her Grandson and the bearded man, Leroy, towards the small boat. Ariel waited patiently as she watched Leroy and Henry climb on board the boat and untie the ropes that held it to the quay. In minutes the engine roared to life and the vessel started moving, Henry stood at the front and he waved to her as they got closer. Ariel beckoned for them to follow her turning and swimming quickly, FINALLY they were underway.

"We're coming Hook" she whispered to herself as she turned in the water and headed back towards the cove "Hang on, please, just hang on"

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David's heart was thumping against his ribs as he stepped forward leaving Emma standing a few feet away. Someone else must have been here, he could see foot prints in the sand and Hook's jacket was laid across his back like someone had placed it there. David pulled in a breath as he knelt down by the Pirate's head, his eyes roamed the man's features looking for any sign of life but he was getting nothing. He reached forward to check for a pulse, fingers searching his cold skin but finally finding what he was looking for. His own heart leapt as he realized that the Pirate was still alive.

"He's alive Emma but we need to get him warm, he is FREEZING" David grit out as he yanked the leather jacket from Hook's back to reveal his disfigured form.

David's eyes went wide when he saw the hook firmly stuck in the tree, how had he not noticed this before. Hook must at the very least have a dislocated shoulder, the angle he was lying at could only be described as wrong. He lay mostly on his front but his left arm was being pulled upwards by his wedged hook, what on earth had happened?

"Dad, what do I do?" Emma asked urgently, looking to him for advise "I don't want to hurt him"

"Hang on, I need to free his arm. Once we get that free we can flip him over. Can you start getting out the blankets, he's not even shivering anymore he's so cold, that is not a good sign"

David worked quickly while Emma grabbed the backpacks and pulled out a thick gray blanket and a foil one. David realized that the Pirate's hook was not going to be freed with him still attached so he had no other choice but to remove the hook from the man. David pulled back Hook's sleeve to get access to the bindings but froze when he saw the dark purple bruising and the very visible break just above the black brace. Damn, this just got even more awkward. He tentatively reached his fingers out trying to work the bindings loose but they were wet and filled with sand so it was really tricky, he could feel the bones grating beneath Hook's skin and it sent a shiver down his spine at the sensation.

Finally Hook's arm came free and David gently held it, trying not to do anymore damage to the already mangled limb. He looked up as Emma laid the last of the supplies out ready for them to turn him over.

"You ready?" he asked

She visibly swallowed, her face was one of concern as she moved to her Pirate's side.

"Can you support his head, if we can get his top half turned in one I'll be happy."

Emma nodded, quickly kneeling by his head.

"On the count of three" David met Emma's eyes and gave her a quick nod

They moved quickly, it was not easy but they soon had him on his back and David gently laid Hook's broken arm by his side. He immediately jumped up and rummaged in his own bag, he had packed a few extras and now he needed them.

"What are you looking for?" Emma asked him as she stroked the side of Hook's face lovingly

"I needed these" he replied pulling out a short blade and some sweatpants

He was back at the Pirate's side in seconds cutting through his clothing, he removed his pants first tossing the tatters to the side. Next he yanked the man's water logged socks from his feet before wrestling the sweatpants onto Hook's still very damp bottom half. He finally moved on to his top half, sighing deeply before getting started.

As he finally managed to pull the last pieces of wet fabric from Hook's chest Emma gasped at the sight that met them. Hook was a mess, his shoulder was clearly not in it's socket anymore, there was an ugly bruise across his ribs on his left hand side and he had a lot of cuts and bruises across his whole torso but David didn't have time to dwell on that, he needed to get the Pirate warm.

"Emma, pass me the blankets" he said holding his hand out to his daughter but her eyes were still stuck on Hook's torso.

"Emma! We don't have time for this" he grit out "I need those blankets now"

She blinked quickly, a single tear slipped down her face but she moved anyway grabbing the blankets and passing them to him. He spread the silver foil over Hook first, tucking it under his body before he laid the woolen blanket over the top of that.

"We need to build a fire Emma, come on, we need to move quickly. We can't do anything until we get him warm" David said coming to her side and crouching down looking her in the face wiping the tears from her face.

He held out his hand and pulled her to her feet, giving her a quick hug before pulling back and looking her in the eye again.

"Can you start gathering some wood? I'm going to radio the town and get a boat down here, it's the only way that we're moving him" he gave her a slight squeeze of encouragement as she nodded and moved off picking up bits of drift wood from the shore and throwing them into a pile.

David grabbed the radio from his belt and turned to face out over the ocean, he didn't want Emma to hear what he was about to relay back to town. David knew that if they didn't get Hook back to Storybrooke General ASAP he wasn't going to make it. He knew Hook was in a bad way but as much as he was worried about the Pirate he was also worried about Emma too so if he could protect her even just a little he'd do it.

He was just raising the radio up when a burst of static from the appliance made him jump then Mary-Margaret's voice came through and it was like music to his ears.

"David!"

"I'm here" he replied "We've found him"

"Good, I was just about to tell you where he was. Ariel just showed up here and told us she knew where we could find him, is he alright?"

David turned his back further away from Emma and sighed bringing his hand up and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"No... He's in bad shape Mary-Margaret, we need to get him back to town"

"Ariel is bringing Leroy and Henry to you right now. David, how is Emma?"

"Quiet, I've got her collecting driftwood to build a fire just to keep her busy, I'm hoping that we'll be moving before we need it"

David walked back over to the Pirate to check on him as he spoke. He knelt down and checked his pulse again, it was still there but quite week, he didn't know what else he had been expecting, it had literally just been minutes since they had covered him up. He was so cold, he wasn't generating any heat for himself which brought a sudden thought to David's mind.

"I have to go Mary-Margaret, I'll let you know when we are heading back, can you make sure that there is an ambulance waiting, speak to Whale and let him know that Hook has a bad case of hypothermia. I'm going to try and get some heat back into him but it's not going to be enough, we need heating pads and more blankets than we have"

"Alright, I'll make sure we are ready at this end. I love you"

"I love you too" he replied quickly then tossed the radio into his backpack.

He looked over to Emma, she was a short distance away but he needed her here for what he was about to attempt.

"Emma, come help me" he shouted while stripping his own clothes from his upper body

"What are you doing?" she asked, voice full of concern

"Skin to skin warming is his best shot right now. Once we get him settled on me you can light the fire. Leroy and Henry are on their way with Ariel so hopefully it won't be too long before they get here."

"Ariel?!" Emma looked confused "Where did she come from?"

"I don't know but your Mom said she showed up in town to tell them where Hook was, it must have been her that laid his jacket on him but right now you need to help me, I need to get as much of his skin touching mine as possible."

They worked as quickly as they could but were mindful of Hook's injuries and the fact that a person with hypothermia should be moved as little as possible otherwise it could trigger a cardiac arrest. After a few minutes they had him practically sitting in David's lap. David held Hook tight to his front with his head laying against his left collar bone, he could feel Hook's cool breath hitting his neck. Hook was cold enough to raise goosebumps across David's own skin and he gave an involuntary shiver as his body tried to accommodate for the heat literally being sucked from his skin by the icy Pirate.

"Grab the blankets" he said through chattering teeth "Cover him up, bring the blanket right up over his head"

Emma did as she was told and once they were satisfied that Hook was fully covered Emma moved to start a fire. David watched as she piled the wood up, he assumed she was going to grab a lighter from her bag but was not surprised when she just raised her hand and the flames instantly dances high into the air.

Emma was being too quiet, what was going on in that head of hers?

"Emma, tell me what you are thinking" he said as she stared into the flames

"I'm thinking, what's the use in having magic when the one thing I really need to do is beyond me?" her voice cracked as she struggled to keep it together "I can't help him Dad, I don't know how to do healing magic, all I'm good for is lighting stupid fires and moving mugs of cocoa from one side of Granny's to the other" she burst out

"Hey, that's not true and you know it. This is helping..."

She gave him a watery smile "I just feel so helpless Dad"

"I know but it will be over soon, I promise" he said in earnest.

"I'm going to grab some more wood" she huffed out, got to her feet and marched up the beach.

David watched as she left him, holding her man to his front. He was surprised a few minutes later when the Pirate in his arms started to move, a low groan coming from below the blankets followed by something that sounded distinctly like "Swan?"

David pulled the blanket's back to reveal Hook's battered face looking up at him

"Sorry buddy, not this time"

He could practically see the Pirate trying to get his brain to work as his eyes took in his face followed by the moment of clarity when he finally realized that he was currently lying on David's bare chest.

"Bloody hell" Hook moaned

But that was it, there was no attempt to move away or indignant calls at the revelation, his eyes just simply slid shut again as he lost his fight with consciousness once more. His breathing seemed a bit better and David could feel him starting to shiver, these were all positive signs but he was far from being out of the woods just yet.

Emma returned a few minutes later arms filled with more wood.

"How's he doing?" she asked quietly

"He's doing better I think, he's starting to shiver which is a good thing although I think it may cause him a fair amount of pain before too long if it gets bad." he paused and gave her a hopeful smile then added "He was asking for you"

"He was awake?! Why didn't you call me?" she dropped to her knees by their side and gingerly pulled the blankets back

"He was out again in seconds, but he knew who I was"

"I'm sure he was just thrilled to be lying on your naked man boobs" Emma chuckled

"Man boobs?! Really? But now I come to think of it I'm sure I saw a twinkle in his eye when he figured it out. Who could resist this body, right?"

"Eww Dad, I am not even discussing this with you right now, that is all kinds of wrong... You are my Dad and HE is my boyfriend" she gave a mock shiver

He couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face, if Emma was back to joking she was obviously feeling better, he just needed to keep it that way. He was just about to carry it on when Emma shushed him and tilted her head as if listening. There was a low rumble coming from somewhere north of their position, a boat, they could hear it coming, the noise getting louder as it approached.

"Hang on Hook, help is coming" She whispered into the blanket before jumping to her feet and running down the sand to meet the others.

"You listen to me Pirate, this is not going to be pleasant but if you so much as think about dying on me I will kill you. I am not going to have you break my Daughter's heart." David spoke to the unconscious man in his arms, he needed to do something other than just sit and watch as Leroy's boat came into sight.

"I know that we have had our differences in the past but you are one of us now. Emma has been through so much in her life and I'm not going to let you be another person that she has lost, you can't leave her you infernal Pirate, do you hear me?"

To his utter amazement the Pirate replied with a simple "Aye" but it was enough, David was going to hold him to it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for the reviews. I feel a bit more encouraged now to carry on lol,**

 **This story is quite long, not as long as my last one but there is still plenty more to come so don't worry.**

Emma ran at full speed into the surf, water splashing everywhere but she paid no attention, she had one thing on her mind and that was meeting the boat as it came to a stop in the shallows. She clung onto the side and peered in watching as Henry ran over to her.

"Mom, how's Killian?"

"He's with Grandpa, we need to move him quickly, come on Kid you can help carry him back , grab that tarp we can use it" she replied avoiding the question

Leroy still stood at the helm keeping the boat steady in the waves, he gave Emma a warm smile as their eyes met.

"I'll keep the boat ready to go Princess, don't worry we'll get him back soon"

"I hope so Leroy" was all she could muster

Henry was over the side and in the water next to her in seconds the large tarpaulin clutched to his chest, she was so busy watching her Son that she completely forgot about the mermaid that had led them in until she spoke by her side making her practically jump in to the air in surprise.

"Sorry" Ariel cringed before carrying on "How's he doing?"

"Come on, we need to move" Emma was getting good at avoidance, she'd learned from the best Pirate she knew.

They moved quickly as one back towards David who was sitting beneath the blanket pile further up the beach. He was still shivering when she looked at him but she wasn't surprised, there was a chill in the air and his back was bare to the elements, they had used the blankets to make sure that Hook was covered, her Dad had insisted.

"Ariel, good to see you" he chattered

"You too" she smiled back

"We brought this tarp, I figured we could use it to carry Hook down the beach" Emma blurted out taking the tarp from Henry "Kid, help me spread it out, weigh the ends down with some stones then we'll get Hook on and your Grandpa can put his clothes back on before Ariel can't control herself around him"

David just gave a chuckle at her dig but Ariel looked really confused.

"Don't worry about it" Emma added "Come on people, we need this done"

They moved quickly and in seconds the tarp was ready. Emma turned back to her Dad, he'd know what to do and true to form he took over directing.

"Grab the blankets first, lay them down in the middle, gray one first then the foil one. We'll need to move him SLOWLY and carefully, NO sudden movements, everybody clear"

There was a chorus of yeses then Emma and Henry did as they'd been instructed with the blankets before moving back to David's side. Hook didn't look any better than Emma had remembered, in fact if anything he looked worse. The slight shiver that had started a short while ago had practically turned to convulsions as his body finally started to try and warm itself and with each tremor they were pulling noises from the Pirate's throat as the movement pulled on his injured body. Emma's heart clenched in sympathy but she didn't have time for pity, they had a job to do.

"OK, Emma can you come and support him while I stand up?"

She was on her knees in seconds pulling Hook to her chest holding his head under her chin she dropped a kiss into his wet hair as he lay quivering in her embrace. David jumped up, threw his shirt and jacket back on not even bothering to fasten either one before coming back down next to her.

"We need to do this now Emma, come on. Henry can you take his feet, Ariel when we lift him can you make sure the foil blanket doesn't move so we can lie him straight down."

The mermaid nodded, rushed over to the blankets and started to straighten out the foil one that had been moved by the slight breeze.

Her Dad met her eyes and gave her an encouraging smile. They moved as slowly as they could but with some urgency. Hook was breathing in through gritted teeth, his eyes clamped shut against the pain and by the time they finally got him lying on the blankets everyone was fully aware of the sounds that sounded remarkably like sobs that were escaping his lips but it was ignored, who could blame him? David grabbed the ends of the blankets and cocooned Hook in them quickly before jumping to his feet again.

"Right, everybody grab a corner, we need to move NOW" he practically yelled

Getting down the beach was not as much of an issue as getting Hook onto Leroy's boat was. It was awkward as hell to lift him high enough to get him over the side and at one point Emma thought that between Ariel and her Son they were going to end up pulling Hook back out of the surf but with grit and determination from both of them they finally managed to get him down onto the wooden deck.

Getting themselves into the boat was nearly as awkward but finally all were on board surrounding the Pirate, more than ready to get underway.

"Let's get him in the cabin" David said urgently "Leroy, get us back to town as quickly as you can"

"You got it Brother" the Dwarf said with determination as he hit the throttle and the boat moved off out into deeper water, they would need to head out onto the open water first then come back in closer to town, there were just far too many rocks hidden in the water to attempt the shortest route.

A few minutes later it was Emma's turn to be in her underwear with the icy Pirate clamped to her front. She lay on her left on the small bed with Hook held tightly in her arms being mindful of his damaged left side, the blankets were covering both of them but Emma was still cold, Hook was literally sucking the heat from her body.

She just wanted to cry, he was in so much pain and there was nothing she could do about it but tears now were of no use to anyone so she sucked it up and concentrated hard on keeping it together.

"Here Mom, I found another blanket" Henry appeared at the side of the bed

"Thanks Kid" she said with as much enthusiasm as possible he didn't need anymore worry right now.

"He'll be fine Mom, I just know it" Henry said with a smile that melted her heart, the Kid believed it too but reality was not always like the story books and Emma knew that it wasn't that simple but she found herself replying anyway

"Of course he will Henry, he's Captain Hook" she gave a wide smile and winked at her boy who gave a laugh at her comment before heading back out on deck.

She was left alone again with her precious cargo. Time seemed to be standing still, what was taking so long? She tried to crane her neck to see out of the dirty window but all she could see was cloudy sky, she dropped herself back down and huffed out a frustrated breath.

"Swan, a-a-are you al-r-right?" she heard the whisper from below the blanket

Her heart rate picked up as she pulled the blankets back to reveal a still shivering Pirate below, his eyes were open in slits and he was looking right at her.

"I am fine, it's you that we need to be worrying about, how are you feeling?"

He closed his eyes again and grit out "Cold"

"I know, I'm working on it" she said and hugged him a bit closer but the motion must have hurt as he gasped loudly and clamped his teeth closed against a groan that tried to escaped him

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry" she hissed as she realized what she had done

"It's alright Love, accident" he said through heavy breaths before his eyes peeked open again and she met his gaze

"Hey B-b-eaut-t-iful" he chattered then gave her a lazy smile, his head moved slightly and she could see the imprint of her bra across the side of his face, yeah no wonder he was smiling. She gave a chuckle.

"Bloody Pirate" she laughed as she watched him close his eyes once more but the slight smile stayed on his lips.

She pulled the blanket back up when she realized that he was out again trying to keep as much heat in as possible. Her worry for the man in her arms would not go, her heart was still beating rapidly in her chest as thoughts of him leaving her kept barging their way to the forefront of her mind. She couldn't let them, she had to stay positive, he WOULD be fine, he just had to be.

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David stood on the deck next to the others.

"How long until we get back to town?" he turned to Leroy

"'Bout twenty minutes" the Dwarf replied

David looked at his watch it was nearly four o'clock and it would be getting dark soon. The temperature had already dropped as the sun had started to set, it was going to be a cold night and he didn't want to be out here any longer than necessary. He turned back to Henry and Ariel who were standing chatting near the cabin door.

"Thanks Ariel, you made this so much easier. If you hadn't gone to town when you did we'd still be waiting on that beach"

"No problem." she gave him a genuine smile "Hook may not be my favorite person in the world but I wouldn't want any harm to come to him"

"What did he do to you?" Henry asked curiously

"Back in the Enchanted Forrest he promised he'd help me to find my Eric, he had the opportunity to find out where he was but when it came down to it he chose his ship over helping me. I suppose in hindsight it was a lot to ask, I mean what Pirate is going to trade his ship? Even it was in the name of true love, I can't really blame him, I mean I did find Eric in the end but I had to save that awful Blackbeard from the sharks to get the information from him"

"He did love that ship" David chuckled "But wait, if he found it again when he was with you where is it? He never brought it back when the curse was broken"

"He traded it" Henry's voice was low

"What?!" David and Ariel's voices said together

"He traded the Jolly Roger to bring back Mom. So you see Ariel, he has changed, he traded the Jolly to get a magic bean so that he could get to New York to bring Mom and me back to Storybrooke to break the curse."

David's mind was reeling,had the Pirate really traded his ship to save them? He loved that ship more than life itself. David turned quickly looking through the window into the little cabin where he could just make out his Daughter still clinging to Hook like her life depended on it instead of the other way round. The Pirate really had changed but up until this moment David just hadn't realized how much. He really did love his Daughter, Hook had made the ultimate sacrifice for his baby girl.

"That would explain how Blackbeard got hold of it" Ariel gasped "He was using it to terrorize a lot of people including some Royal's from Arendelle, the Queen trapped the ship in a bottle as punishment and I accidentally got swept up in the magic and that's where I've been until earlier today when I found myself back in the ocean right by your town."

"So wait, the Jolly Roger is back in Storybrooke?" David asked turning back around

"It was, I don't know where it is now" Ariel replied "Whoever has it took off in it, I'm not sure but if I'm right I think it was the sea witch, Ursula. Could she really be here?"

"That would be about right, Hook was going to try and reason with her, she was obviously not in a reasoning mood!" David replied

David was brought out of his musings as the boat lurched then the engine cut out, he turned expecting to see the dock in sight but was confused when all he could see was more shoreline in the distance.

"What are you doing?" he said angrily to Leroy

"Look" was all the dwarf replied, pointing out into the open water

David spun around, there was a huge cloud of mist tumbling it's way towards them.

"What is that?" Leroy gasped

"Damn it, I don't think Ursula is quite done with us just yet" he grit out "Quick, get in the cabin"

They moved quickly, all scrambling through the door to find a surprised Emma on the other side.

"What's going on?" she asked in a concerned voice

The boat rocked in the water and in seconds they were plunged into near darkness as the thick mist surrounded them, stealing the last of the days light.

"Ursula" David said grimly "She has brought the weather in around us, we can't see a thing. Damn it, we are stuck, we can't move in this, we could run into rocks and never even see them coming"

"What?! But we need to get Hook to hospital" Emma cried

"Emma, I don't have a choice, it's too dangerous, I'm sorry"

The heartbroken look on her face nearly had him changing his mind but he couldn't and he knew it, he was surprised a second later when Ariel stepped forward and interrupted the moment.

"I'll go to town and tell them what's going on, maybe we can figure out a way to help"

"Are you sure? It could be dangerous out there" David said with concern.

"Positive, the mist is only above the water, not below" she gave an encouraging smile then headed out the door, she turned once and gave a little wave as she stepped up onto the side of the boat then disappeared from view into the waves. David just hoped that this set back wouldn't take too long, he looked back to Emma who looked close to tears as she hugged her Pirate closer.

"Hey, it will be OK" he soothed crouching down by her side "I'm NOT going to let him die, I promise" he knew that it was a promise that he shouldn't be making. "Emma look at me, I will fight tooth and nail to make sure that you two get your happy ending, that is my promise to you."


	5. Chapter 5

**Will they be able to find a way to get back to town or are they going to have to figure something else out?**

 **Let's find out shall we.**

Ariel swam as quickly as she could staying beneath the waves for as long as possible to avoid the thick mist above. She could see just fine down beneath the water and in what seemed like no time at all she was popping up by the dock once more.

She broke the surface and was surprised to find a beautiful sunset hanging in the sky, the sea witch had obviously just brought the mist down on their boat. She moved quickly towards the stone slipway, snapping her bracelet into place and running the last few feet until she came up onto the dock. There was a vehicle with flashing lights sitting not far away and Ariel could just make out an anxious looking Snow clutching a baby in her arms standing next to a taller, dark haired man. She was running in seconds, her bare feet slapping across the stones as she hurried towards her friend.

"Snow!" she cried

Snow turned at her voice her face breaking out into a smile which quickly fell when she realized that something was wrong.

"Ariel, what's going on?" her voice sounded worried

"Ursula... she brought in a mist and we had to stop the boat, we couldn't see anything" Ariel replied quickly pointing out into the open water.

When they looked out to where she was pointing they could clearly see the mist patch hanging in the air, it was swirling round and round but not moving from it's focal point.

"No..." Snow breathed out "How is Hook?"

"Not good, we are struggling to get him warm again and the temperature is just getting lower and lower as the day is ending, Oh Snow, we need to figure out a way to get him back here"

"Can you carry stuff through the water" the dark haired man said approaching from the left.

"Of course" Ariel replied without hesitation

"Then I have an idea" he said with a grin before turning and jogging towards the flashing vehicle.

"Who is that?" Ariel asked Snow

"August or... Pinocchio but I guess you don't know his story so yeah, August will do just fine. He's Emma's friend and he's been helping to organize things from this end"

"He's..." Ariel trailed off looking for the right words

"I know" Snow said with a grin just as the man in question came back into view carrying a back pack.

Ariel blushed as he looked her in the eye but he didn't seem to notice as he excitedly lifted the bag up.

"I can't do anything about more blankets but if you can take these back they should be of some help"

Ariel peered in the bag, she had no idea what she was looking at but Snow grinned widely.

"That's a great idea August. Ariel you need to get these back there ASAP"

"What are they?" Ariel asked still very much confused

"They are chemical heating pads..." Snow trailed off at Ariel's even more confused expression "They are magic pads that heat up when you tap them, give them to David, he'll know what to do with them."

Ariel beamed widely, they could really do that? WOW, this world held many, many wonders. She grabbed the bag and slung it onto her back, it was heavy, it was going to make swimming a challenge but she needed to do this, it was Hook's best chance. She gave Snow a hug and August a smile before running to the edge of the dock and leaping over the edge into the water once more.

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David was worried but he tried his best to keep it hidden from his Daughter as she lay beneath the blankets a short distance away. The boat had stopped rocking as quickly as it had started but now they were just floating in the water with the thick mist engulfing them.

"I'm just going to check and see if there is anyway that we can get moving Emma, you OK?

"Peachy" was her only reply

He gave her a smile before motioning with his eyes for Leroy to follow him out on to the deck. They moved quickly closing the door behind them and found themselves standing in an eerie silence, the mist hung thickly around them and it seemed to be blocking out all the usual sounds of the sea. Their voices just seemed to die right in front of their faces and there were no noises, no sea birds or any other normal sounds that you would expect to hear, only a slight splashing of the water lapping against the side of their boat. Great, there was no way they could move in this, hell, they couldn't see six feet in front of their faces never mind anything else.

"Any ideas?" Leroy grumped out

"Nope, you?" David replied in frustration

"The witch is going to pay for this" Leroy snarled turning and marching up the boat disappearing into the mist to return seconds later clutching a large flashlight in his hands "This won't be any use out here but we're gonna need it in the cabin before too long"

"Good idea" David agreed.

Leroy headed back through the door and left David alone on the deck, he gave a loud sigh, he just felt so useless. The Pirate was not getting the help he needed anytime soon and there was NOTHING he could do about it. He sat down with another sigh on the edge of the boat and looked up into the mist above him, it was just as think up the way as it was around them, the witch certainly knew what she was doing. He was just considering going back into the cabin, it was getting chilly on deck and he didn't want to get too cold, when he thought he saw something. He narrowed his eyes and squinted out over the water, there was a dark shadow out there, what was it?

Adrenalin flooded his system as he realized too late that it was the hull of a huge ship and it was right on top of them, he jumped to his feet and was running towards the helm but by the time he got there he realized that the ship was not moving, they had simply floated into it's side. He sighed out a big breath as he tried to calm his racing heart, that was not an experience he wanted to repeat.

Now that he knew there was no immediate danger he shouted into the fog, trying to get the attention of the crew on board the larger vessel, if they could get on board that ship Hook stood a better chance of getting warm.

"HELLO!" he yelled "CAN ANYONE HEAR ME?"

The cabin door opened again behind him and Henry and Leroy came on deck.

"What's going..." Leroy stopped mid sentence as his jaw dropped at the sight before him

"We need to get on board this ship" David grit out as he reached out over the side of their own boat and grabbed hold of the anchor line that disappeared beneath the waves into the depths below.

"Wait... is that? Grandpa, it's the Jolly, look!" Henry exclaimed

David's eyes followed to where Henry was pointing and there, emblazoned on the side of the ship was the elegant "Jolly Roger" in yellow script.

"I'm going over" David grit out "Everyone else stay here until I make sure that Ursula is not on board, you hear me? If I'm not back in fifteen minutes you get my family away from here as quickly as possible" he added turning to Leroy.

"You got it Brother" the dwarf agreed, face full of determination.

"Be careful Grandpa" Henry's worried voice reached him as he slung himself out, grabbed the anchor line and he started to climb.

"I will Henry, don't worry"

He was on the deck in seconds, keeping low he crept across the wooden planks towards the hold. He couldn't hear anything but that didn't mean that Ursula wasn't on board. He moved as quickly as he could checking each part of the ship in turn but he came up with nothing, the witch wasn't here. The last room he found himself in was the Captain's quarters, he moved quickly first starting a fire in the small fireplace then grabbing some extra blankets and pillows from one of the cupboards and leaving them by the bed. This could work, the room was quite warm already and by the time they got back it would be warmer. He grinned to himself as he ran from the room, now he just needed to figure out how he was getting the Pirate on board. Then an idea struck him.

"I did always say he was a mug" he chuckled to himself as he ran over to the line that he had climbed and practically threw himself back over the side and down onto Leroy's boat.

"Grandpa!" Henry came forward and hugged him tightly.

"I'm alright Kid, come on, I have a plan" he gave him a wink as he moved off towards the cabin.

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"I can't Dad" Emma couldn't believe that her Dad was asking her to try this.

"Emma, you can and you know you can. It is no different from moving the mugs from one side of Granny's to the other and you said quite clearly that you could do that so come on, if you want to help him now is your chance"

Emma had been extracted from the bed a few minutes earlier and Hook was back to leaning against her Dad but what he was asking her to do frightened her. He wanted her to use her magic to move the both of them onto the Jolly Roger. She had never done it with a living thing before, she couldn't but she also knew that she needed to, her Dad was right, it was Hook's only chance, he would freeze to death if he stayed here, it was already much colder than they could afford it to be.

"I'm scared Dad, what if I do it wrong?"

"You won't, I believe in you" he replied, eyes full of hope.

"I believe in you too Mom"

"Me too" Leroy added pulling his woolly hat from his head and meeting her eyes

Her heart fluttered, they all had so much faith in her. She had to do this. Right Swan pull yourself together. She took a step forward, looked her Dad straight in the eyes then scrunched her's shut in concentration. Feel the magic, let it flow, I need to help Hook, I need him to be on the Jolly, it's his only chance. She felt the familiar hum through her body as her magic flared into action and in seconds it was over. Her eyes flew open expecting her Dad to still be sitting on the bed but he and Hook were gone, she had done it! Then a bout of sudden doubt hit her, what if she had moved them somewhere else, what if she moved them too far and they had ended up in the water. Panic flooded her and she ran from the small cabin on to the deck.

"DAD" she screamed

"We're fine Emma, you did it" she heard his muffled voice from up above her

She physically sagged with relief as it finally sunk in that she has done it.

"Come on Princess, it's not over yet, we still need to get him below deck" Leroy said as he barged past, he made sure that his boat was tied off before he too pulled himself up the anchor line and disappeared over the hand rail out of sight.

"He'll be fine Mom, we can get him warm now, you did good" Henry gave her a quick hug then followed Leroy

Emma tried to calm herself down, she was physically shaking, she had actually done it. A wide grin split her face as she reached out and grabbed hold of the rope to follow the others. For the first time since this whole thing started she felt a little bubble of hope rising up inside her and she was not about to let it slip away.


	6. Chapter 6

**Quite an intense chapter, poor Hook is really being put through it here... I'm so bad**

David wasn't sure how aware Hook was of what was going on now, the Pirate just lay slumped heavily against David's front, his chin sunk down against his chest, still shivering harshly.

"Hook, come on, open your eyes"

David gave him a slight shake to try and rouse him but he wasn't responding at all, maybe it wasn't such a bad thing, it would make moving him easier. David looked up to see Henry closely followed by Leroy coming over the rail of the ship and hurrying over to his side.

"How's he doing?" Leroy asked with concern, when had the Dwarf started to care about the Pirate?

"He's out again, we really do need to get him below deck now. If you can lean him against you for a second until I get up I think it will be easier if I just lift him myself and go." David said to the Dwarf as he came down on his knees next to him to take hold of Hook.

It was a bit awkward to scoot out from below the man and the blankets but he did it anyway and was stooping down to scoop the Pirate back up into his arms seconds later just as Emma was coming into view. He hoisted Hook up, glad for the mans lean form and headed towards the door to his right..

"Emma, Henry can you go ahead and get the bed ready we need to get him in as quickly as possible"

They both nodded and ran ahead. David maneuvered himself through the narrow doorway, choosing to go through the lower decks instead of going from the quarter deck, he didn't think he'd manage the steep steps down into the cabin. The corridor was narrow and he had to make sure that he walked at an angle so that the Pirate's head and feet didn't get caught on any doorways as he followed Emma and Henry. Eventually he came through the final doorway into the now warm Captain's Quarters, he went straight to the bed and carefully laid Hook down on the Pirate's own bed. His blankets were quickly pulled up around him and before David had a chance to say anything Emma had stripped her top off once more and was crawling under the covers and pulling him to her front.

David stood back breathing heavily at the effort he had just put in, the room was warm but it didn't stop him from moving to the fireplace and stoking the flames, he needed it as warm as possible.

A groan from the bed had him turning quickly.

"Hook, it's OK, I've got you. Come on lie back, we'll have you warm in no time" Emma soothed out but the Pirate began to struggle.

David watched as Hook weakly tried to pull the blankets back, he was breathing heavily, his face scrunched up in pain. The final clue slammed David in the face when the Pirate started to give big gulps as he continued to struggle against Emma's grip.

"Hook, calm..." Emma was cut off by David's yell

"Emma let him go NOW" David shouted as he raced across the room and yanked the blankets back, he unceremoniously grabbed the Pirate and pulled him towards the side of the bed just in time.

Sea water spewed from Hook's mouth as his stomach revolted, with each clench of muscles the man made the most horrendous noise David had ever heard but he couldn't blame him, it had to hurt like hell with his injuries. After a few minute's Hook just hung limply in David's arms totally spent. David gently laid him back down in the bed and Emma quickly wrapped her loving arms back around him as the pair were covered over once more. She whispered in his ear and stroked her hand across the side of his face, David was unsure if he was even aware that she was there but figured if it wasn't helping the Pirate it was definitely helping his daughter so he just left her to it.

Leroy had started to clean up the mix of vomit and sea water from the floor after retrieving a bucket and sponge from somewhere outwith the cabin.

"Thanks" David breathed out

"No problem" Leroy replied as he worked "Couldn't just leave it could I?"

"Still, I appreciate it"

David stepped back and watched the two in the bed, Hook was still shivering beneath the blankets and Emma looked close to tears. How had it come to this? David glanced to his side to see a scared looking Henry hugging himself next to the table, David's heart clenched for the boy. He reached his hand out and pulled his grandson into his side, wrapping his arms around him and hugging him tightly.

"He'll be OK" he whispered into his hair

The cabin fell into silence after Leroy excused himself from the room carrying the bucket as he went saying something about looking for supplies. David hadn't really been paying attention if he was being honest, he was beyond tired now and it wasn't even six o'clock yet. David still held Henry tight in his grasp but a sudden noise behind him had him pulling the boy behind his back as he turned quickly not knowing what to expect, had the sea witch returned?

He sighed in relief as Ariel stumbled through the door, staggering slightly as she pulled a back pack from her back.

"Ariel!" Henry exclaimed

"You found Hook's ship" she replied with a wide grin

"I think she found us actually" David replied with a chuckle

"Here" Ariel cried and lifted the bag slightly towards him

David moved quickly to take it, pulling the soggy fabric back and peering inside, a wide smile appearing on his face.

"Snow said that you'd know how to make the magic work" Ariel said, eyes full of hope.

"That, I can do" he replied

"Emma, get up. Henry grab some of these" he said taking three heating pads out for himself.

"What's going on?" Emma asked, a look of confusion on her face

"Chemical heat pads" David grinned at her "Come on, these will warm him faster than any of us"

Emma practically jumped from the bed and grabbed the bag from Henry and tipped the contents out onto the table before grabbing three herself. David hit the right spot and gave the pad a shake to activate the chemical reaction inside before placing the first one right in the middle of Hook's chest, he placed the next two on his stomach before taking Henry's three and placing them tight against his right side then put Emma's against his left side being careful of his damaged ribs. He finally pulled the blankets back up over the top of all the pads and stood back, happy for the first time that the Pirate was getting enough external help to raise his core temperature.

Everyone stood nervously watching as the Pirate still shivered under the covers. Emma pulled her top back on then grabbed a chair from the table dragging it across the floor and stopping next to his bedside before dropping herself onto it with a sigh.

"Come on Henry, let's give your Mom and Hook some peace and quiet. We'll go to the galley and see if we can find something for supper" David said pulling his Grandson back to his side again, throwing his arm across his shoulder and steering him towards the door.

"Ariel, care to join us?" David asked the mermaid as the were leaving

"I'll be there in a few minutes" she said with a sweet smile before turning sad eyes towards Emma sitting on the chair "I just want to make sure that's she's OK"

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Emma just felt drained, FINALLY they had managed to get some heat back into Hook, she just hoped that it wasn't too late. She watched as his chest rose and fell in sleep, the blankets were pulled up high around his shoulders one of which she knew at some point they were going to have to try and realign if they couldn't get him to the hospital before too long. She sighed and let her head fall into her hands as she lent forward and put her elbows on her knees.

"Are you OK?" a small voice sounded behind her.

Emma looked up to find Ariel's concerned face looking right at her.

"I'm fine, I'll be even better when I know that he's alright" she sighed out.

"I'm sure he'll be telling you that he's survived much worse before too long" the mermaid said with a sweet smile and she was probably right but Emma couldn't shake the feeling that Ursula wasn't quite finished with them yet.

Ariel moved forward and gently sat herself on the edge of Hook's bed right by where Emma was sitting. She looked at the Pirate's face and gave a pensive smile.

"I thought he was nothing but an untrustworthy Pirate when he wouldn't help me..." Ariel started

"He wanted to..." Emma tried to interrupt

Ariel held up her hand "I know Emma, I know he traded this ship to save you. I guess he always had a plan in mind and losing her to save my love was one step to far away from being able to save his own. I understand, I don't resent him anymore. I got Eric back, everything worked out alright in the end just like it will now, just you wait and see."

Emma was just about to answer when he Pirate in question started to stir on the bed, his eyes peeking open.

"Swan?" he sounded confused

"It's OK, I'm here" she soothed, moving to sit by his head on the side of his bed next to Ariel.

He closed his eyes momentarily obviously still in a lot of pain but Emma was relieved to see that his shivering had definitely reduced quite a bit. His eyes peeked open again and he looked further down the bed, his brow furrowed for a second then a look of horror appeared on his face. He immediately started trying to move on the bed, it seemed like he was trying to get away from something.

"The witch" he slurred "Keep her away"

"Hey it's OK, it's only Ariel" Emma tried to appease him but he continued to struggle against her grip mumbling more to himself than anyone else.

"Not Ariel... Zelena... I'm sorry Ariel, it wasn't you... I tried to say sorry, I really am but the witch was you and you tricked me"

"He thinks that you are Zelena" Emma blurted out

"Who is Zelena?" Ariel asked looking really confused

"Long story" Emma grit out before turning her attention back to Hook "Hook. Come on look at me. It's not Zelena, I promise you, it really is Ariel this time, no tricks"

He seemed to settle a bit at her words, he was breathing heavily as he stilled on the bed. His eyes peeked open again and scrutinized the little mermaid sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Ariel?" he croaked

"It is me Hook, I promise"

"M sorry" he sighed out "M s' sorry"

"I know Hook, I know and it's OK" Ariel looked close to tears as she spoke

"No' alrigh'... I prom'sed I would help you"

"I found Eric, it doesn't matter. I get it, you needed your ship to save Emma, I know that now"

Hook sighed out a long breath, sleep seemed to be trying to take him again but just as Emma thought he had gone his eyes pulled open once more and locked with hers.

"Needed the Jolly fo' a bean" he breathed out in a whisper as sleep finally descended on him, eyes sliding shut.

"I know and it's OK, it's all going to be alright. You have her back now and you don't ever have to let her go again" Emma whispered back.

She watched as the edges of his mouth turned up into a slight smile and his breathing evened out again, she pulled the covers back up and was happy to find that when she placed her hand on his forehead that her Pirate was finally warm to the touch. That had been far too close for her liking, she never wanted to go through anything like that ever again. She sat herself back onto the wooden chair and Ariel stood from the bed.

"I'll leave you two alone for a bit, your Father said something about fixing some food, I'll go and see if I can help" she gave a sweet smile as she walked towards the cabin door leaving Emma with nothing more than her thoughts and right now Emma didn't know if that was a good idea. She pulled herself from the chair and made her way over to the table where she collected the rest of the heating pads up, there were seven left. She put them to one side, she would use those once the other ones had cooled, she knew that she would need to keep Hook extra warm for the next couple of days to make sure he didn't have a relapse.

She was just hanging the still very wet rucksack on the back of one of the other chairs when something on the floor caught her eye, she bent down and picked it up. It was an old flintlock pistol. Where had that come from? Her eyes roamed the rest of the room until they fell on a small safe that stood open in the corner of the room. Curiosity pulled her over to it and she peered inside. There were a few bits of paper, a few gems and not much else, what had been in there that wasn't there now? Did Ursula take it? Emma sighed, she would just have to wait and ask the only person who knew but right now he was incapable of doing very much other than sleep.

Her eyes found their way back to his form on the bed, she suddenly felt like she was being pulled to the ground by an invisible force, her knees buckled and she slumped into a heap on the floor. She sat back and leant against the cabin wall. All she wanted was for this to be over, pulling her knees up to her chest she rested her head on them and let the tears flow. In that moment Emma needed her Mom but she wasn't there, she had felt this way many times in her life but somehow this was worse because she now knew what her Mother's embrace felt like and right now she couldn't have it and she just felt empty inside. She never heard anyone approach but a second later she felt a light touch on her head.

"It's OK Mom, it's OK" Henry soothed, she blindly reached out and pulled him into her embrace and hugged him like she had never hugged him before.

"I love you Henry, I love you so much" she howled.

"I know Mom and I love you too" was all he said as he hugged her back just as tightly.


	7. Chapter 7

**WOW... the reviews have really dried up on this fic! Am I doing something wrong? Is it too much? Tell me people, I need your feedback lol**

David made his way back to Hook's cabin with two bowls of canned stew, who knew that the Pirate could move with the times and actually have a decent food store? Obviously Blackbeard didn't know what canned food was as the food cupboard was still rammed full which at this point was fortunate for all of them.

He pushed the door open to find Mother and Son sitting at the small table, both looked red eyed but he chose not to mention it, hell he had come close to tears himself while fixing the supper, the images of Emma's heartbroken face plaguing his mind but tears would help no one right now not even him. He placed a bowl down in front of each of them but neither moved to eat.

"Come on you two, you need to eat something, you'll not do him any good starving yourselves"

Henry picked up his fork and started to slowly eat but Emma just pushed the bowl away.

"I'll get something later, if I eat that now you may very well see it again in a few minutes"

"You feeling sick?" David asked with concern

Emma just nodded and got up from the chair she was sitting on to go back to Hook's side. She sat herself on the edge of his bed and placed her hand on his face.

"How's he doing?" David asked moving over to her side.

"He's warmer and he's finally stopped shivering, he's just sleeping now" she looked up and met his eyes then whispered so Henry wouldn't hear "We need to reset his shoulder don't we?"

David could see the concern in Emma's face but she was right, now that Hook was warm they had to try and deal with some of his injuries before they did permanent damage. He gave her a quick nod before turning back to Henry.

"You not feeling too hungry either Kid" he said as he walked up to see the bowl still mostly full.

"Not really" he replied looking up at him and stifling a yawn.

David gave a chuckle "Why don't you go and find a bunk to have a lie down in? Hook once showed me the one that your Dad used to sleep in when he was on board. It's the top one on the left, I'm sure it would make him happy if he knew that you were using it now"

Henry gave him a genuine smile before he pulled himself to his feet and trudged his way to his Mother's side.

"Night Mom" he said before hugging her tightly "Can you... you know, let me know... if anything..." he trailed off unwilling to end the sentence.

"Henry, he'll be fine now that we have him warm, he's just sleeping, he'll probably feel better in the morning, just you wait and see" she said with a smile, David just hoped she was right.

Henry grinned and physically relaxed in his manner at the news, the kid had obviously been worrying about Hook just like the rest of them. David watched as his Grandson turned to the bed and whispered

.

"See you in the morning Killian, sweet dreams"

David knew that they had a lot of work to do before the Pirate would be settled for the night and that his dreams would probably be anything other than sweet but he hugged his Grandson tightly anyway before he left the room unwilling to share that bit of information with the boy.

Soon he was left staring at the sleeping Pirate, he and Emma both knew what had to be done but neither wanted to be the one to initiate the process but eventually he knew that someone had to. He sucked in a deep breath and stepped towards the bed. He pulled the blankets back and removed the now lukewarm heating pads from the Pirate's body to reveal the mottled skin beneath. The dark purple bruise that ran across his ribs looked angry, probably more than one broken rib lay beneath. His left shoulder sat further forward than the right and his very broken looking left arm lay by his side. David made the decision to try and set his arm first then move on to the shoulder.

He looked around the room for anything that they could use to stabilize the limb, his eyes fell onto the table where Emma had moved some of Hook's star mapping equipment up to one end before settling down with Henry. David walked over and picked up two of the metal hinged rulers and tossed them over onto the bottom of the bed before moving towards the cupboard that he had pulled the extra blankets from earlier and found a spare sheet. He grabbed the beautifully embroidered fabric, shook it out and started ripping it up into long strips using his short blade that he grabbed from his backpack.

"I hope to God that Milah didn't make that" Emma gasped out causing David to stop for a moment but it was too late, he had already torn a large chunk off so it made no difference now . After a few minutes he was ready, he had several long strips and several short ones, he separated them out into piles. He'd need the short ones to tie the metal to Hook's forearm and the longer ones to secure his whole arm to his front once they had the shoulder back in place. He just needed one more thing before they could get started, he needed Leroy, he couldn't rely on Emma to carry on when the Pirate was screaming and David knew that he would scream, this was going to hurt, a lot.

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Killian stirred awake, someone was tapping the side of his face so he turned his head slightly and peeked through his eyelashes.

"Swan" he breathed out as she came into focus

"I'm here Killian, It's OK" she soothed

The use of his given name instantly had him opening his eyes fully and looking around the room in confusion. He could see David and Leroy standing at the foot of the bed, both wore sorrowful looks, what was going on? Where was Henry? He tried to focus his clouded brain, he looked back at Emma for some clarification.

"Where is Henry, is he alright?" he managed to get out just before he tried to move and he was left in agony.

His world narrowed for a few seconds, sound dipping out and his vision going white, he gasped in lungfuls of air trying to get his pain under control but each gasp sent streaks of agony across his chest, Gods everything hurt. Eventually the room came back into focus and he could hear Emma's soothing tones by his side.

"It's OK, just take some steady breaths" her fingers trailed up and down the side of his face soothing him.

"Henry?" was the first thing he said once he could speak again, he needed to know that the lad was alright.

"He's fine, he's just gone to try and get some sleep, Ariel is keeping an eye out for him" Emma spoke quietly

Killian finally relaxed a little at the news. His mind was reeling, if it wasn't Henry that was making them all look so sad it had to be because of him. He wasn't really sure what was going on, he knew he hurt but couldn't tell where from, it all just built into one giant pain through his torso and back.

"How bad?" he grit out

"Bad enough" David replied "Your shoulder is out of it's socket and your arm is broken, we need to realign the bones...sorry but this is going to hurt."

Hook sighed and again regretted it in an instant as more pain flared across his chest.

"Oh yeah and you have some broken ribs too" David supplied with a grimace

"Let's just get it done then Mate" Killian winced again as he tried to get more comfortable.

David moved first, coming up to the side of the bed. Killian tried to sit himself up groaning loudly at the movement but the Prince gently pushed him back down against his pillows.

"I'm going to do your arm first, just stay where you are." he turned to Emma before continuing "Can you go to his other side, I'll need Leroy where you are right now so that he can hold his arm steady we don't want to jerk that shoulder"

Emma remained silent but moved quickly going to the foot of the bed then crawling up to lie on his right hand side, she took his hand and squeezed it tightly. He squeezed back, she needed the comfort as much as he did, he could see it in her eyes.

"You ready?" David asked giving him a serious look

"Aye" was Killian's only reply, he may have said the word but he was far from ready. His stomach was rolling at the thought of what was to come but he clamped his jaw shut and clenched his teeth in anticipation of the coming pain.

He couldn't watch somehow thinking if he didn't look it would hurt less but he was wrong, he could feel the Prince gingerly take hold of his lower arm and the Dwarf gripped him just above the elbow then in seconds a blood curdling scream flew from his mouth as the Prince yanked his arm straight. The pain was beyond words and it was never ending, he tried to pull his arm away but their grip was too strong or he was too weak, it didn't matter the outcome was the same, he was trapped in perpetual hell with no way of freeing himself so he just screamed louder into the small room as David worked hoping that his torture would be over soon.

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Henry wasn't stupid, he knew that his Grandpa had wanted him out of the room for some reason and now as he lay on his Dad's bunk he knew exactly why as Killian's screams invaded his head. He closed his eyes and tried not to think about what was happening in the Captain's Quarters a few doors down but it was hard to think of anything else when all he could do was lie and listen to Hook's never ending torment.

What were they doing to him?

As quickly as the screaming had started it ceased and Henry breathed out a sigh of relief. He hated the thought of Killian being hurt, he had looked so ill just lying on the bed and although Henry had never actually seen his Dad after he had died images kept popping into his head of how he must have looked lying on the forest floor, dead.

He shivered and turned over onto his back staring at the wooden ceiling just above him, to think his Dad had laid in the exact same spot a couple of hundred years before brought a smile to his face. It was crazy to think that both his Dad and Killian were so old yet so young. He supposed it was just another reason why he felt so close to the Pirate, Killian knew things about his Dad that no one else knew, he had cared for him right here on this very ship. Killian made Henry feel safe and right now he could really do with some of his comfort.

Henry's eyes roamed the small space above him, he gave a gasp as his gaze fell onto something scratched into the ancient enchanted wood... there just above his head was the name "Baelfire", his Dad had obviously lay here one night and etched his name above his head. Henry's heart raced as he dug into his pocket, he pulled out his small folding blade and got to work.

Ten minutes later his own name was right there next to his Dad's, it made him happy to think that they would remain there forever, side by side.

He was just starting to relax back into his pillow, sleep finally starting to creep up on him when Killian's screams invaded his head once more. He grabbed his pillow, shoved his head underneath it and clamped his arm around his head trying to block out the noise.

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Emma gripped on to Hook like her life depended on it, they had sat him up and she was currently sitting supporting him from behind with her legs either side of his hips as he sat on the edge of the bed with his feet on the floor. Her Dad and Leroy were trying to be as quick as possible but his shoulder joint was being stubborn, very much like it's owner and refusing to pop back into place without a struggle. Hook screamed again and eventually David just stepped back.

"This is impossible" he sighed out bringing his hand up to wipe the sweat away from his forehead. "Hang on, I'm going to radio back to town and see if I can talk to Whale, maybe he'll know of an easier way to do this"

He quickly stalked from the room, she could hear him in the corridor just outside the door but right now she was more concerned with her Pirate who was hanging limply in her arms. She brought her hand around and gently pulled his head back so that he was resting against her neck rather than hanging in thin air. He gave a groan as she settled him into place. He was so weak and tired she knew that if she let him go right now he would just simply fall bonelessly to the floor so she held him tightly, she was his only anchor and she was not willing to let him go for anything.

Her Dad returned a few minutes later wearing a look of determination on his face.

"Right, I have a different tactic. We are going to pull his arm to the front first then slowly bring it up and around to his side, this SHOULD pop it back in." he moved quickly and took hold of Hook's elbow so that they could start.

"Swan... no m're... please no m're" Hook mumbled into her throat and it broke her heart.

"I'm so sorry Killian but we have to, it will be over soon I promise" she couldn't help the tears that fell or the way that her voice raised an octave and it was obviously enough to make her Pirate know exactly how she was feeling.

"I's alright L've" he breathed out "I's alright" he tried to bring his right arm up, obviously wanting to bring her comfort but he lacked the strength to do so, she reached over and grabbed his hand pulling it up into his lap and holding it tightly.

"Emma, we need to do this now. Whale is waiting at the harbor, Ariel is on her way back there right now, he has pain medication waiting, we'll get Hook settled for the night soon, I promise"

Emma just nodded her head and pulled her Pirate closer to her chest as the two men took hold of his arm again. It was awful, Hook was practically hyperventilating by the time they were done but FINALLY they had managed to get the joint back into position. Her Dad moved quickly binding his whole arm across his front, securing it to his right shoulder before they finally managed to lie the Pirate back down on the bed. There was a sheen of sweat across Hook's whole body from their ministrations and his breathing was quite erratic too. Emma's heart ached for him, he was in so much pain and it had been them, all three of them that had done it so him. Rationally she knew that it had to be done but it brought fresh tears to her eyes as she watched her pale Pirate lying panting on the bed.

Leroy left the room as her Dad covered Hook up with the blankets, David stepped back pulling Emma into his arms, she couldn't help it when the floodgates opened again, the tears flowed freely as her Father rocked her back and forth in his warm embrace. She may not be able to get a hug from her Mom but right now her Dad was doing just fine, he was here and she felt safe and warm in his arms.

A few minutes later they could hear the little mermaid as she hit the deck above them, she quickly opening the hatch on the quarter deck and descending the stairs straight into Hook's cabin.

"I've got it" she grinned and held up a clear zip lock bag containing a bottle of pills.

Emma took it quickly and thanked Ariel before grabbing a bottle of water from her bag and heading over to Hook's side again.

"Hook , come on, I need to sit you up a bit, just for a second" she added the last bit when he moaned loudly, obviously not wanting to move "I've got pills that will make you feel better."

Her Dad came over too and between the both of them they quickly got the pills down the Pirate's throat, he gulped most of the bottle of water down too which was a comfort to Emma, she didn't want him to get dehydrated.

A few minutes later Hook was sleeping soundly on the bed and Emma was beyond exhausted.

"Emma, we're going to leave you two alone, try and get some sleep, I know you don't want to leave him but that bed is plenty wide enough for the both of you" he gave her a small smile then his face scrunched up "I can't believe I actually just encouraged you to get into bed with that Pirate of yours" he added with a chuckle.

Emma couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips, her Dad was such an idiot.

"Night Dad, Night Ariel" she gave them both a quick hug before they left.

She was finally left alone with her Pirate, she added a few more logs to the still burning fire, took a trip to the bathroom then returned to Hook's side. She put out the gas lamps sending the room into darkness, the only light came from the flames in the small fireplace but it was enough to be able to see what she was doing. She stripped her bottom half down to her underwear then crawled up by Hook's right hand side. She managed to get under the covers then just lay staring at the ceiling as sleep evaded her, she was beyond tired but somehow she just knew that sleep was not going to be happening any time soon. Her heart physically hurt for her Pirate, she turned her head and watched him as he slept, his features were relaxed now but the image of his tortured face and his agonizing screams still invaded her mind. She sighed loudly into the quiet room, it was going to be a long night!

 **Please please please review, let me know your thoughts xx**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you all for your kind reviews :D**

 **Poor Hook really has no idea what I have planned for him... he will soon!**

Killian woke with a groan realizing that he had obviously tried to move in his sleep as the pain pulsed through his body. He peeked his eyes open to see that the cabin was still in dim light, it must be early morning that would explain why he really needed to... how did Swan always put it? Yes, he really needed to pee! This was not going to be fun.

"Swan" his voice was quite croaky, not unsurprising given the screaming that he had done the night before.

Emma stirred but remained asleep, maybe he could do it without disturbing her. He closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath that pulled painfully on his ribs but he held it anyway before hauling himself up into a sitting position from his stack of pillows. Every muscle and every joint protested the move and he couldn't help the curse that flew from his mouth as the skin on his very raw back was stretched causing it to sting intensely as the air hit it.

"What are you doing?" Emma's voice sounded behind him before she appeared at his side seconds later.

"Need to pee" he grit out through clenched teeth.

"You should have woken me" she cried indignantly

He could have told her that he had tried but he couldn't quite bring himself to do that so he just let her help him towards the side of the bed. His head was thumping to the beat of his heart and the room tilted dramatically for a split second as dizziness washed over him but eventually he was sitting with his feet on the floor.

"How d'ya want to do this?" she asked him with concern

"In this cupboard" he tapped his fingers on a small cupboard in the side of his bunk.

Emma bent down returning into view in seconds holding his ancient porcelain chamber pot.

"WOW... this thing must be worth a fortune" she said in awe

"Never really thought about it" he gave her a small smile as she moved to his side.

"I'll leave you for a few minutes, no one needs an audience for this. Just leave the pot on this chair when you are done and DO NOT MOVE. I'm going to find my Dad, he can help me get you back into bed" She said pulling one of the wooden chair over from the table before grabbing her pants from the floor and pulling them on quickly.

Emma bent down and kissed him sweetly on the top of his head before heading out the door that led to the lower decks.

Killian physically slumped as she left the room, he had been holding himself upright while she was there unwilling to let her see how bad he felt. He knew that something was wrong, he felt awful. His skin felt too tight for his body and the heat radiating from him had nothing to do with the warmth of the room he currently sat in.

He quickly took care of business leaving the pot where Emma had instructed him but the part about not moving was proving to be too much, he couldn't help it. As he was trying to lean back the room had spun again and without warning he keeled over on to his back, the bedding scrunched uncomfortably at his back. He could do nothing more than lie and wait for the others to return to help him but as soon as that thought entered his brain his stomach gave an ominous roll and he knew he had no choice, he had to move now.

He rolled to his right, he knew that making it to the foot of the bed was his best option but the angle was all wrong and he found himself in an impossible situation as his stomach suddenly lurched sending him into instant agony again. He knew nothing more than pain as his muscles kept clenching even though there was practically nothing in his stomach to purge. In the end he lay half on half off the bed with his face in his own vomit but he had no strength left to do anything other than close his eyes and let the darkness take him.

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"We'll get him to take more painkillers before we get him settled again, he's bound to need them by now" David said to Emma as they walked back down the corridor

"He seems a bit brighter but yeah he must be in pain" Emma agreed "Maybe we could get him to try and eat something in a while, you know once he's settled" she added hopefully

"Maybe, we'll see how he's feeling but we definitely need to get him to drink some more water, we do not need him dehydrating on top of all his other issues."

"Just tell him if he drinks it all like a good boy he might get some rum" Emma laughed as she pushed the door to the cabin open but the laugh turned to a cry of despair as her eyes fell on Hook's bed.

David moved quickly barging past Emma. The Pirate looked awful, his face was bright red, he was sweating badly and he was lying in a puddle of his own sick.

"Emma, grab his feet. We need to get him onto the floor" David practically yelled.

They moved quickly lowering Hook down on to the wooden planks and stepping back. David ran over to the cupboard that had the blankets in it and grabbed three and a couple of sheets, tossing a blanket to Emma before heading back to Hook's bed.

"Keep him warm while I change the bed"

He stripped the blankets off revealing the sheet beneath, his eyes going wide when he saw the amount of blood stains on the white fabric. Damn it, why had he not checked the Pirate's back? He supposed that they had had enough to deal with that it hadn't even crossed his mind but that was a stupid mistake, Hook obviously had a fever and he'd lay money on it being from an infection from something he'd missed.

He quickly pulled the bloody sheets away and tossed them onto the floor by the door before making the bed again.

"Emma, we need to lie him on his right hand side, I need to check his back, there was a lot of blood on the sheets"

Emma's eyes went wide with worry but she held her tongue. They gathered Hook up and lifted him in one swift move lying him down flat briefly before David moved him onto his side finally revealing the damage that the giant tree had obviously done to his back. Hook had several wipe scrapes and a couple of deep gouges across his shoulder blades and one on the back of his neck but they all looked fine, although still weepy David could see no sign of infection. He was confused but not still not convinced that he wasn't right, if it wasn't from these injuries there must be another one somewhere that he was missing. David stepped forward coming down on to his knees at Hook's hips as his eyes fell on a dark stain on the waistband of Hook's borrowed sweatpants. He gingerly pulled the fabric back, bingo! There high on Hook's left hip was a very bloody and pus filled gouge.

"I need to clean this out Emma, can you clean the ones higher up. There are tweezers in the first aid kit in my bag, try and get as many of those splinters out as you can" David said pointing to his rucksack with a nod of his head.

He moved himself, standing up and grabbing a few bits of cloth left over from the sheet that he had cut up the day before, he also grabbed a few other bits and pieces before heading back over to the bed to start on his own task.

He wiped away as much of the pus as possible using some alcoholic wipes then grabbed his own tweezers that he had taken and started to pull the bits of wood from Hook's hip. He worked slowly, trying to ensure that he got every bit but he quickly discovered that the small splinters were not the issue as his tweezers hit something hard. He flushed out the wound with some water so that he could see better and the end of a large bit of wood showed itself. He carefully took hold of it with his tweezers and pulled. In a few minutes he had removed what seemed like the end of a snapped off branch from the Pirate's hip, no wonder it had been causing an issue.

"Swan, please tell me that it is you fondling my left buttock" Hook's groggy voice sounded from the other end of the bed.

Emma popped up and lent over so that she could see his face.

"Nope, sorry" she said with a smile

"Bloody Hell" he groaned

This brought a smile to David's face, if he could muster enough energy to joke the Pirate would be fine, right?

He knew that the next bit was going to sting but he had no choice, he had to flush the wound out again and this time it wasn't just with water.

Hook jumped and hissed through his teeth.

"What in the blazes was that?!" he yelled into the air, the pain obviously sending a jolt of adrenalin into his system and making him more alert

Emma raised her eyebrows high as she looked at David.

"Revenge or as you would say, a bloody waste of rum" she replied with a chuckle

David had no idea what she was talking about but the Pirate shot back a reply

"I stand by that statement" Hook breathed out, he was obviously losing strength quickly.

David secured a gauze pad over the wound with some tape then moved up to check on Emma's handiwork, he poured some more of the rum onto another bit of cloth and as gently as possible cleaned the remaining grazes. Hook hissed with every touch but David couldn't help it, it needed to be done.

Once they had finished they managed to get Hook back into the bed propped up on a stack of pillows to try and keep the pressure off his lower back. The Pirate was practically unconscious again by this time but David wasn't finished, he needed to check the the cuts on Hook's front too. He untied his makeshift sling and gently pulled Hook's arm out of the way, laying it down at his side eliciting a moan from the Pirate. The bruise across Hook's ribs made David's stomach turn, it must be beyond painful, the bruise had bled out now and covered most of his left hand side before disappearing underneath him to curl around onto his back.

He couldn't dwell on that now though, he lifted his eyes to see Emma sitting on the bed next to Hook's head, eyes transfixed on the Pirate's torso. He had to snap her out of it, he clicked his fingers in front of her face.

"Emma... Emma." he finally got her to look up at him "Can you go and grab his pain pills and some water, we're going to need them in a minute."

Emma gave a jerky nod before getting up and walking towards the table. David checked Hook's chest and was happy to find no further issues, he cleaned each cut with the rum just in case but this time the Pirate didn't even flinch, this worried David more than anything else right now. They had to wake him up, he needed to get him to take the medication and drink more water because right now the Pirate was incapable of either by himself.

David secured Hook's arm back into place then scooted himself further up the bed, settling himself so that he could reach his head. He tapped him gently on the face with two fingers trying to get some kind of response but got nothing.

"HOOK" he yelled, tapping his face harder but still got nothing.

This was not good. He stood from the bed and motioned for Emma to take his place as he grabbed the radio from his belt and spoke into it.

"Mary-Margaret"

The radio crackled to life but it was August's voice that came back to him.

"David, it's August. What can I do for you?"

"I need to talk to Whale, Hook is not doing well, he's got an infection and is unconscious, he feels like he's got a high fever and I'm concerned that he's dehydrated too, we've only managed to get half a bottle of water into him in the last twelve hours. I'm at a loss as what to do next."

"I'm on it... hold tight"

August's reply came back over the radio and all David could do was wait, he looked back over at his Daughter as she sat stroking the side of her Pirate's face. Hook was flushed and sweaty with dark circles under his eyes, David just hoped that Whale came back to him quickly with some answers, he wasn't sure how long Hook would last if they didn't get some fluid into him soon.


	9. Chapter 9

**So going by the reviews it seems that you all like the fact that I have put the Pirate through the ringer lol**

 **He's not out of the woods just yet you will be happy to hear and it's Prince Charming's time to save the day... again!**

David couldn't quite believe what he was being expected to do. He lent heavily on the rail of the Jolly Roger looking out over the misty sea, eyes focused on nothing in particular. He sighed heavily and looked down at the cell phone that he clutched in his hand. Whale had sent him a link to a medical site that showed him in picture form how to insert an IV line into a patient.

He couldn't do this, he wasn't a doctor but at the same time he knew that he had little choice. The original plan had been for Whale to come back to the ship, they had found a small rubber dinghy and loaded it with supplies with the intention of getting the Pirate stable then getting him back to town using the same method but just as they were preparing to cast off there was a sudden swell, the sea water had spilled over the sides of the small boat and within minutes it was sinking beneath the waves. Ursula was obviously not prepared to allow the Doctor to help the Pirate. In all honesty David was just glad that the sea witch hadn't waited until they were further from shore before executing her plan, the last thing they needed was another patient on board.

David stuffed his cell back into his pocket, he had read through the procedure six times now. In principle he knew what he was doing but actually doing it was a whole different ball game. Working in the animal shelter he had seen the same thing done on various patients but had never appreciated the complexities of it. There were so many things to remember and quite frankly the fact that if he didn't get all the air bubbles out of the line before letting the fluid flow into Hook that one the bubbles could cause an embolism scared the crap out of him, he could kill the Pirate if he wasn't careful.

He pulled in a large breath trying to calm his racing heart and more importantly steady his shaking hands when he heard Ariel's voice calling from below.

"David, throw down a line. I can't carry this up on to the deck, it's too heavy" she yelled

He moved quickly heart thumping against his ribs as the time neared where he would have no choice but to face his fears. He lowered a thick ropes down using one of the many pulleys and watched as Ariel hoisted a cold storage box up to the surface and tried her best to tie it securely.

"I think that's it" she shouted a few minutes later

David pulled, the box was heavy but he reeled it in all the same and in minutes it sat on the deck next to him and Ariel stood at his side.

"You ready?" she sounded as nervous as he felt

"Not really" he sighed out

Grabbing the box by it's handle he tried to head towards the lower decks but Ariel put her hand out to stop him.

"You'll be fine. The Blue Fairy put an enchantment on the equipment that should help you, it won't do it for you but it will be enough to guide you to do it correctly" she said with a genuine smile

He sighed in relief, finally some good news. He moved quickly now knowing that with Blue's help he would be able to do this. With every stride he grew more confident and by the time he opened the cabin door he was like a man possessed, barking orders as soon as he entered the room.

"Kid, I know you want to stay which is fine but I need space by the bed, can you go and stand over there with Ariel" he pointed to the far side of the room and they both moved quickly out of the way.

"Emma, Leroy, we need to turn him around. I need him at the bottom of the bed so I have easy access to his right arm"

They immediately moved to the Pirate's side, David and Leroy did most of the maneuvering and Emma moved Hook's pillows and blankets into their new location before they managed to lie him back down. The Pirate didn't even stir, he was totally limp and unresponsive, David knew he needed to move quickly. He turned back to the cool box that he had put on the table to find that Henry had already broken the water tight seal and opened it up.

"Thanks Kid"

David peered inside and grabbed the sanitizing hand wash that Whale had told him to use first. He liberally spread it all over his hands making sure to cover his wrist too before reaching back into the box and pulling out a pair of sterile gloves. Next he grabbed some sterile wipes and the actual IV line along with some tape before he turned to Emma.

"Can you grab the rubber band and tie it above his elbow, I need to find a vein in his forearm, those are the best ones for the wide bore needle that Whale has sent, we need to get fluid into him quickly and the wider the needle the better"

Emma just nodded before grabbing the rubber band and going to Hook's side. By the time David had unraveled the line in his hand Emma had stood back to allow him access to the Pirate's side. He wiped the whole of Hook's arm to ensure it was sterile then searched for the best looking vein quickly finding one not far below the crook of his elbow.

"Emma, hold this bag up high"

He handed her the saline bag which she took without question and raised it above her head, they'd need to find something to hang it from later but right now Emma would have to do.

David paused, he knew what he had to do, he had read through the procedure on his phone so many time that he could probably recite it line for line but when it came to the actual practice he wasn't sure his stomach could take it. Come on, we don't have time for this, the damn needle is enchanted, it doesn't get much easier than this, how much more help do you want? He berated himself before he took a deep breath and just went for it, finding the vein quickly and sliding the needle straight in first time. Next came the tricky part, he had to remove the needle but leave the Cannula in place. He moved slowly to ensure that he didn't accidentally pull the whole thing back out but he needn't have worried obviously the enchantment was working well as the needle easily slid out leaving the Cannula nicely in place. David threw the needle on the floor by his feet, he'd pick it up in a minute. He grabbed the tape and secured the line in place, OK, worst part over, now all he had to do was check for air bubbles, insert the antibiotics and painkillers that Whale had prepared and open up the vent, easy, right?

The rest was done in minutes and before he knew it he was finished. He stood from the bed, a huge grin on his face. He had done it, he'd need to remember and thank the Blue Fairy when he got back to town. He bent down and carefully picked up the discarded needle and took the two syringes that had contained the meds back to the cool box and dropped them into the small yellow plastic tub inside that was for medical waste.

"You were awesome Grandpa" Henry beamed as he threw himself against David's chest and hugged him tightly.

"Well, it's a bit of a cheat when the needle is enchanted" he replied with a smile as he ruffled Henry's hair

"Yeah, about that..." Ariel added with a guilty look

"What?!" David was instantly on edge

"That part may not actually have been true" she grimaced "Don't hate me. Snow told me to tell you that it was so that you would be confident enough to try, she said to tell you something about a sword and a stone and that you would understand that sometimes the belief that you can do something was enough to help you achieve it"

David couldn't believe it, Mary-Margaret had tricked him and it had worked, he was so sure that the enchantment would keep him right that he didn't hesitate in what he was doing. He turned back to look at Emma, she stood grinning at him.

"You did it. I knew you could, you were the only one doubting yourself you know?"

"You knew about this?" he said narrowing his eyes at her

"Hell yeah, I knew I couldn't do it so we had to get you to believe that you could, Mom told me to leave it to her so I did" she added with a small smile "Thanks Dad"

David just shook his head, a smile on his lips. He had done it, he was glad he had but he was also glad that he wouldn't have to repeat the process anytime soon. Now that the fluids were finally going into the Pirate they could relax a little, Whale had said that it would probably take about twelve to twenty four hours to see a change in Hook's condition, which reminded him, he needed to take the Pirate's temperature.

He moved back over to the box and pulled out a digital thermometer that you can put into the patient's ear then walked over to the bedside. He crouched down by Hook's head, put the sensor in the Pirate's ear and pressed the button. While he waited on the result his eyes wandered across the man's features and stopped on what looked like a matted bit of hair behind his ear, strange, he hadn't noticed that before. The thermometer beeped and David checked the result, 104, not good but now at least they had a starting point to go from, hopefully his temperature should start to fall as the medication got into his system. David put the thermometer to one side and went back to check behind Hook's ear, he tilted the Pirate's head slightly towards the wall so that he could see better. There was an ugly cut in his hair that had congealed into a bloody mass, he needed to clean this out, the last thing he wanted was to have another possible site for infection.

He grabbed another few wipes from the box and came back to Hook's side.

"What's going on?" Emma said behind him

"He's got a gash on the back of his head, I need to clean it out, don't worry, I'll just be a minute then we'll get that fluid bag tied onto something" David looked over his shoulder with a smile to reassure her.

He quickly started to clean the dirt and blood away to reveal the wound below, it was long and quite deep with a lot of bruising around it. Panic suddenly hit David, what if it wasn't the fever that was keeping Hook unconscious but this head wound? He gingerly pressed his fingers against the skin to see if there was any movement beneath and was very relieved to find none, at least he hadn't cracked his skull open. He was just finishing cleaning the rest of the blood from Hook's hair when the man in question groaned and moved his head. Relief washed over David like a warm shower, it seemed like it was the fever and not the head wound after all.

"Hook, come on, open your eyes you stubborn Pirate" he gripped out, it wouldn't do to make the man think he was worried about him.

He could see Hook trying to comply but every time his eyelids peeled back his eyes just rolled in his head and they closed again. He'd let him off, he was running a high fever after all but at least he now knew that Hook could understand what was being said to him and could follow simple instructions.

"Dad, is he OK?" Emma asked nervously, still unable to do anything other than stand and hold the saline bag.

"He's still pretty much out of it but he tried to open his eyes, give him time Emma, I think this is going to work" he gave a smile as he stood from the bed again.

"Here, let me take this, you go see to your Pirate. Maybe get some water and try and cool him down a bit"

David took the fluid bag from her hands, the irony wasn't lost on him, here they were now trying to cool Hook down when less than twenty four hours before they had struggled to warm the man up. He shook his head as he watched his daughter move to Hook's side again, face full of concern. Henry joined her seconds later laying his hand across her shoulders, she looked up at him and gave him a warm smile.

Leroy appeared at David's side a few seconds later with a hammer and a nail, David didn't even ask where he'd found them, right now he didn't care. The Dwarf quickly hammered the nail into a thick beam that ran down the side of the hull and David hung the Saline bag from it.

"Thanks Leroy" he said clapping the Dwarf on the shoulder

"No problem Brother" he got in reply before Leroy added "I'm going to fix some food, anyone who is hungry get your behinds to the galley in twenty" before stomping from the room.

Ariel stood nervously on the other side of the room.

"I'm not mad at you" David said with a chuckle and the little mermaid sighed in relief

"Good, I didn't want to lie but Snow promised me that it would work sooooo..."

"It's OK, I've used the same tactic, it's a good one and it worked so thank you. You want to come join us for some food" he said as he walked towards the door

"Why not?" she replied with a smile

"Henry, come on, let's go help Leroy" David called to his Grandson

"Sure thing Grandpa" he said happily before hugging Emma and walking past him to follow Ariel out of the cabin.

David wanted to give Emma some time, this was hard enough for him to deal with, he couldn't imagine how hard it was for her.

"I'll bring you something back" he called over to Emma, she looked like she was about to decline so he added "I'm not taking no for an answer Emma, you need to look after yourself too, you'll do him no good if you make yourself ill"

He didn't give her a chance to protest, he was her Father and sometimes he knew what was best even if she didn't agree with it.


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry for the lack of update last night, I had a migraine but today it is gone so I give you yesterday's chapter with the promise of another update tonight.**

Emma sat on the hard wooden chair at the table and raised the spoon up to her mouth, she really didn't want to eat anything but her Dad was not taking no for an answer. The soup wasn't too bad but she could feel it just sitting in her stomach, she was just too... she didn't know what she was but she did know that she didn't want to eat.

She finished about half the bowl before shoving it away, if her Dad wanted to fight her over it just let him try, she was in no mood for his dramatics.

That wasn't fair and she knew it, God she was so tired. The one time that she had managed to finally nod off during the night she had woken to find Hook pulling himself up in the bed, that was how this nightmare had started. She should have noticed that he wasn't feeling well enough to be left alone but she hadn't and now look where they were..

"Damn it Killian, don't do this too me"

Emma stood up from her chair and settled herself back on the edge of his bed, gently taking hold of his hand again. He still felt very warm to her touch and didn't so much as stir as she stroked her fingers across his knuckles. This was torture, all she wanted was him to open his eyes and to be alright, was that too much to ask?

Her head was too full, she had so much stuff running around in there that she felt like it would burst at any second, she was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she failed to notice her Dad coming back into the room until he spoke her name making her jump in surprise.

"Sorry" he said as he approached her side, bringing his hand on to the back of her neck and rubbing soothing circles over her knotted muscles.

"It's OK, my nerves are just shot" she tried to give him a reassuring smile.

"How much sleep did you get last night?"

"Not nearly enough... every time I closed my eyes it was like a switch in my brain flicked on and all these images kept appearing and then when I finally did fall asleep he woke up and this happened" she threw the hand not still gripping her Pirate up into the air in frustration.

"Come on, lie down" David said suddenly

"What? No... I don't want to hurt him and I'd be lying on his sore side" she replied in earnest

"I can fix that, don't you worry. You go and wash your face and stuff, I'll get Leroy to help me move Hook over next to the wall, I can still get to his IV from there so it shouldn't be an issue. When you get back you are going to get some sleep and I'm going to stay here to make sure that you are BOTH alright."

"Dad, I can't" she sighed out, how could she make him understand that she just couldn't relax enough to sleep.

"Emma, this is non negotiable. Either you sleep next to your Pirate or I carry you from the room and you sleep in the hold, your choice" he raised his eyebrows at her and she knew that he would do it, he would follow through on his threat.

Emma sighed heavily, anger brewing inside but she was just too tired to argue with her infuriating Father.

"Fine" she grit out and stomped from the room, she would show him, she knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep, maybe when he realized that she wasn't kidding he'd back off. She headed to the washroom, if that's really what it could be called with it's VERY basic facilities, took care of business, washed her face then headed back to Hook's cabin.

Her Dad was right, by the time she got back he and Leroy had shifted Hook over to the far side of the bed, he was just changing the saline bag for a fresh one as she walked back through the door and Emma's anger faded at the look of concern that he wore on his face for the Pirate. She was taking this whole situation out on him and all he was trying to do was exactly what she would be doing if it was Henry in her place, he was trying to be a good parent.

"Is he OK?" she whispered

"He's still the same, I was hoping his temperature would have started to come down by now but it's still early" he said with a soft smile. "You ready for bed?"

She nodded, all the fight had left her and being honest she would be quite glad for the bed beneath her. He tugged back the blankets and held them up as she climbed under them then brought them down across her front as she settled down on the soft mattress.

"I do believe that this is the first time I'm tucking my daughter into bed... which is kind of weird considering her boyfriend is lying by her side" he laughed out

"Dad, you had to ruin a perfectly good Father Daughter moment didn't you" she added with a grin

"Hey, it's not ruined, it's just a bit unusual but I guess for our family that's to be expected"

"Thanks Dad"

"For tucking you in?"

"For everything"

"That's what Dad's do. You know we have super powers right?"

"I'm not five Dad" Emma couldn't help the giggle that left her lips

David just grinned back at her "Go to sleep Princess, I'm not going anywhere, I promise"

Emma had closed her eyes, in the warmth of the bed with her Dad on one side and her Pirate on the other she had finally managed to slip into sleep but it hadn't lasted long, she jerked awake sitting upright in the bed as the last of her nightmare left her. She was breathing heavily, heart thumping loudly in her chest. She shook her head, it wasn't real, it was just a dream. The cabin was brighter now, maybe she'd been sleeping longer than she thought but she hadn't looked at the time before she lay down so she didn't really know. She looked to her right to find her Dad slumped over the table, he was sitting on the chair with his head resting on his folded arm and it looked like he'd drooled a puddle across the surface. Ewww, she just hoped that it hadn't got on any of Hook's maps otherwise there'd be war.

Speaking of Hook, she turned to her left to find him lying with is eyes open. Her heart leapt into her throat as she quickly scrambled to her knees and up to his side so that he was looking right at her but something wasn't right. He wore a glazed expression and was just staring into space with no focal point.

"Hook?" she whispered but he didn't move, maybe he was still asleep.

"Killian?" she tapped his face with two fingers but still nothing.

Now she was beginning to worry and within seconds she realized that she had been right to do so as his back suddenly arched from the bed and his eyes rolled back. He held that position for a second before descending in to convulsions on the bed right in front of her eyes.

"DAD" she screamed, she had no clue what else to do as her Pirate jerked about before her very eyes.

The next few minutes were a blur of chaos and confusion as her Dad appeared at her side and started yelling stuff at her but she couldn't hear him, all she could focus on was the man she loved having a seizure in front of her. After what felt like an eternity Hook finally stilled on the bed, her Dad had the radio in his hand and was practically yelling down it.

"He's stopped, as far as I can tell it was less than three minutes. What do I do now?"

"I need you to check his temperature again" Whale's voice sounded tinny through the device.

Emma watched as if looking through someone elses eyes as her Dad took the thermometer up and put it in Hook's ear pulling it away seconds later as it beeped.

"105, it's gone up" he sounded frantic

"OK, I need you to cool him down now, strip him bare if need be and get some ice packs on him. I put some in the box in case you needed them."

"On it" David shot back "Emma... EMMA. Help me"

She nodded quickly "What do you want me to do?"

"Get all the blankets off NOW, I'll leave you to deal with his pants, get them off him too, we don't have time to waste."

He jumped from the bed and Emma moved quickly first pulling the blankets back, the heat coming off of Hook was unbelievable. Next she pulled his pants from his body throwing them on to the floor. How had this happened? Weren't things supposed to be getting better? She quickly grabbed her own pillow and stripped the cover from it laying it across Hook's midsection to give him a small amount of dignity.

Her Dad was back at her side in minutes with the cold compresses, he tossed a couple to her as she scooted back up to Hook's head and she quickly put one against the back of his neck and the other across his forehead. He groaned at the contact and Emma's heart leapt again.

"Hook, come on open your eyes" she whispered

To her utter delight he did as he was asked and even better than that he spoke too.

"Swan?"

"Yeah, it's me. It's OK, you've got a fever we're trying to cool you down" she soothed

"Cold" was all he replied as he gave a shiver and Emma was just about to pull the compresses away when her Dad spoke from the other end of the bed

"Don't take them off Emma, he's not cold, he's too hot that's what caused the seizure. He just thinks he's cold, his body is giving him all the wrong signals"

"I'm sorry Killian but this is for your own good" she whispered

But he had gone again and Emma could have cried, this was all just too much, when would it be over?

"It's OK" David soothed

"Really? 'Cause from where I'm sitting this is anything but OK" she bit back, she regretted it straight away but was too caught up in her emotions to deal with anything right now other than trying not completely lose it. She knew that she was being unfair to her Dad but she couldn't help it, the silence rung out in the room between the pair and eventually Emma couldn't take it any more.

"I'm sorry" she said meeting her Dad's gaze

"I know honey, I know"

Two hours later Hook's fever finally broke, David had just injected his second dose of antibiotics and pain medication into his IV line before checking his temperature again.

"102, now we're getting somewhere" he breathed out

Emma was beyond tired now and she didn't need to wait on her Dad telling her to lie back down, she just slumped onto the bed next to her pirate and closed her eyes, the sooner this day was over the better. She was vaguely aware of her Dad covering her and Hook back over with the blankets but she didn't stir, her Dad would look out for them both, they would be fine.

ONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIME

David stood looking out of the small window in Hook's cabin at the mist that still swirled above the water, the sun must have been going down as the light was fading fast. Emma had been sleeping for a few hours now and he was glad of it, he was worried about her. Henry had popped in briefly to bring him a drink and as he drained the last mouthful of liquid from the cup he turned back into the room. It was getting dark in the room too so he put the cup down and lit the small lamp on the wall bringing a warm glow to the small cabin.

Sighing deeply he walked over to the bed, he'd need to change the Pirate's saline bag again. He only had three left and although he knew he could get more he was still hopeful that Hook would wake up and he wouldn't need them.

As he finished switching over the bag movement on the bed had his eyes shifting to the Pirate, a smile spreading over his face as Hook opened his eyes and moved his head slightly to the side to look at him.

"David?"

"Well, glad you could rejoin us" David chuckled

"What happened?"

"You developed a fever, you've been out for most of the day"

Hook made to speak again but his words caught in his throat and he started to cough, a look of pain etched on his features. David moved quickly grabbing a cup of water then he held it so that the Pirate could drink, it was awkward with Emma still lying on the bed but they managed.

"Thank you" Hook breathed out a few minutes later

Hook's eyes roamed the room for a few seconds before coming back to David's.

"I thought I'd never see her again" he said with a smile

"Yeah, I heard you traded her for a certain bean"

"Aye and I'd do it again in a heartbeat" he replied giving David a sincere look

"Well let's just hope it doesn't ever come to that, what use is a Pirate without a ship?" David laughed out

"Indeed"

Hook's eyes traveled down his own person briefly, he tried to move his damaged arm but hissed through his teeth, eyes slamming shut and jaw working furiously against the pain.

"Lie still you idiot" David berated the man but his tone was no where near as sharp as the words.

After a few more calming breaths Hook opened his eyes again and looked more closely at the elaborate bandaging that David had used to secure his arm to his front.

"What in the blazes have you done to me?"

"You don't remember?"

"Not really, what is this?" he indicated to the sheet.

"Yeah, uhm, you have a broken arm and you had a dislocated shoulder..."

"Ah, yes, I remember now, you and the Dwarf torturing me. Not a part of my life I'd like to repeat anytime soon"

"You and me both, anyway I had to improvise so I'm afraid you lost one of your sheets..." he gave a nervous laugh before carrying on "Emma was worried that Milah made it"

Hook's eyes went back on to the sheet again before falling closed, he let out a slow sigh. Dear God, Emma had been right, Milah had made it, what had he done?

"Milah didn't make this" Hook finally whispered and David sighed a huge sigh of relief but it was short lived when the Pirate spoke again.

"It was a gift from my Mother, it was the last thing she gave me"

David's stomach dropped.

"Hook, I am so sorry, I didn't know, we had to just use whatever was on hand and it was right at the bottom of the pile of sheets, I figured that it wasn't used often, if I had known I would ne..." he trailed off as he saw the Pirate grinning at him.

"Worry not Mate, I am but teasing you, I have no idea where it came from, it was at the bottom of the pile because it is hideous but thank you for strapping it to my front where the whole world will see it. What will people think? A fearsome Pirate with flowery sheets on his bed!"

Hook spoke slowly and by the time he had finished David could tell that he was close to sleep again but the smirk remained on his face. David could do nothing but smile too, the Pirate was going to be just fine, for the first time since this whole thing started David finally believed that and was able to relax a little.

"Get some sleep Pirate, we have work to do in the morning and I know of a certain Princess that will be more than happy to find out that you are back in the land of the living"

Hook never opened his eyes again but David was sure that he had heard him as his smile remained in place, he watched as his breathing evened out and he slipped back into sleep within minutes.

Now all they had to do was figure out a way to get back to Storybrooke, they could hardly spend the rest of their lives trapped on board the Jolly Roger. He sat back down at the table trying to formulate a plan but no matter what way he put it to himself the answer was the same, they needed to speak to Ursula, she was the only person that could put an end to this, they just needed to find a way to convince her to let them go... yeah, they were going to need a REALLY good plan!


	11. Chapter 11

**Here as promised is the second update of the day... YAY, our Pirate is finally on the mend, don't worry there is still plenty of story to tell and perhaps our good Captain is not as healed as he would like everyone to think .**

Killian awoke some time later, he felt better than he had that morning but a dull thud in his head still pounded in time with his every heart beat. His skin no longer felt like it was on fire, he still ached all over but he supposed that was only to be expected with everything that he had been through. He opened his eyes to find that it must be night as the cabin was in near darkness, only one lamp was lit to bring a small amount of light into the room for which he was grateful, the small light was bringing enough pain to his sore head, he didn't want to imagine what more would do to him. He turned his head to the side to find Emma smiling at him.

"Hey Beautiful" he croaked out, Gods his throat was dry, he gave a small cough and it was enough to have Emma sitting up in the bed, she reached over the side and came back with a bottle of water.

"You want a drink?" she whispered

"Aye, thank you Love"

Within minutes they were both settled back down against their pillows but Killian's back was sore, he had obviously been lying in the same position for a long time so he pulled in a breath and managed to get himself onto his right hand side before scooting back on the bed a bit. It was hard work and it hurt but finally he managed to open his eyes and look back at his Swan.

"I could have helped with that" she admonished

"Aye Love I know but I managed just fine" he breathed back, he could already feel sleep tugging at him again but he wanted to stay awake, he wanted to look upon Emma's face for longer than a few minutes. The ache in his head flared for a second and he closed his eyes against the pulsing pain that thumped against his eyes.

"You OK?" Emma's voice was full of concern

He opened his eyes again and met her gaze "I will be Love... You know this is not how I imagined our first time alone in my bed?" he gave her a mischievous look and she grinned back but it was short lived as David's disembodied voice suddenly sounded from somewhere close by.

"Still in the room" he cried

"Bloody Hell Mate, how to ruin a perfectly good romantic moment" Killian griped

David popped up next to the bed, his hair was a mess and he had a pillow crease up the side of his face.

"Well to be fair, less that six hours ago you were at death's door and my Daughter needed me but now that I know that you are well enough to be making googly eyes at her again I am going to go and find a more comfortable place to sleep. I do not need to be hearing any of this" he flailed his hands out waving them towards the bed before he pulled himself up from the floor.

"David" Killian spoke quickly before the Prince could leave, the Prince turned back to meet his eyes and Killian gave him a sincere look "Thanks Mate"

"Yeah well, I couldn't have you breaking my girl's heart now could I" David replied with a smirk "Besides we couldn't let that Sea Witch win now could we? This whole thing is her fault and by the time we are done with her she is going to wish she had never come back to town"

"Not her fault" Killian breathed out, sleep was tugging at him again and as much as he wanted to fight it he couldn't.

"What? Of course it's her fault" Emma cried "She threw you in the water, she is holding us here"

"No more than I deserve" he managed to get out but he was too tired to go on, he would just need to explain in the morning. How could he blame Ursula when she was right, he was the reason that she was the monster that she was today and not the sweet mermaid that he had once tried and failed to help. He would put this right, he would return her happy ending, he might just need a little help to achieve it.

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"What did he mean by that?" David yelled out

"Shhhhhhhh" Emma berated him

"Don't you shush me. He can't just say something like that then fall asleep" David was beyond confused, what had Hook done to Ursula?

"We'll find out tomorrow Dad, it's not like we could do anything about it tonight is it?"

He had to agree, it was nearly two o'clock in the morning and dark outside, yeah they'd have to wait but he was going to be back in this cabin EARLY, he needed to know what Hook had meant and he was probably not going to get much sleep between now and then!

David bent down and grabbed his pillow and blanket up from the floor before heading towards the cabin door.

"The MINUTE he wakes up you call me, we need to get off this ship and he is the one that holds the key to doing that"

He pulled the door open and headed towards the bunk room but he stopped outside the door, he knew he was too wired to sleep and didn't want to disturb the others that were already sleeping inside. He sighed then kept walking and before he knew it he was standing on the deck looking out into nothingness. He didn't know why but he found it oddly calming being up here, he could understand why Hook loved this ship so much.

He looked about him for somewhere to settle himself down and his eyes fell on Ariel up on the quarter deck. What was she doing up here? He made his way up the steps towards her, she must have heard him coming as she turned and gave him a smile.

"How's Hook?" she asked straight away

"He's doing better. His fever has finally broken and he even woke up for a short while"

"Good" Ariel breathed a sigh of relief

They both stood staring out into the night in silence for a few minutes before a sudden thought hit David, he turned to the mermaid.

"Do you know what happened between Ursula and Hook?"

The mermaid looked surprised for a second.

"No, not really, sorry. All I know are the stories I heard as a child."

"Tell me, maybe there's some truth to them" David said hopefully

"I doubt it, I think they were only told to us to stop us from misbehaving but I'll tell you anyway." she turned her head towards him and gave him a sad smile before carrying on "Legend has it that Ursula was once a mermaid just like me, it was told that her Father was Poseidon, King of the Sea. Ursula LOVED to sing, you see, to her it was a link with her Mother but when her Mother was killed by Humans her Father tried to make Ursula use her voice to lure sailors to their deaths on the rocks as they sailed on his seas. Ursula didn't want to use her voice to harm anyone so she tried to escape from her Father's grasp by stealing a bracelet that let her walk on land. I'm not really sure of the details but somehow Ursula ended up losing her singing voice, there were many stories of her being betrayed by a Pirate but I can't remember the details just that she was so distraught over it that she became the monster that we know today. I don't know how Hook was involved or if it even was him but she disappeared for a VERY long time, until recently I believed that she was just a legend. I thought that I had met her once but found out later that it was in fact the Evil Queen pretending to be Ursula, that was when I came to know Snow back in the Enchanted Forest"

"Hmmm... well it's something to work with" David pondered over the story. "Why don't you go and get some sleep? It's late" he added

"I don't really need to sleep like you do, I think I'm going to head out into the water for a while, stretch my tale now that I know that Hook is going to be fine. I'll head to town in the Morning and let them know the good news. Anything you want me to tell Snow?"

"Just that I miss her and as soon as we've figured this out we will be home. Thanks Ariel, for everything, Hook wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for you" He gave her a genuine smile and she blushed.

"Who am I to stand in the way of true love?" she grinned before pulling herself up on to the rail and diving over the side into the black sea below.

True love? Was that really what was going on with his Daughter? A Princess and a Pirate... he could live with that, if the Pirate would just maybe stop being so Piratey. Hell, who was he kidding? Hook would never stop being a Pirate, he managed to carry it on even with no ship to his name. David smirked to himself, what a family he had.

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Morning dawned and Emma woke with a start, her heart racing again as her nightmare still played in her head. She still felt tired but knew that she was not going back to sleep when she looked at her watch and realized it was nearly ten. She had woken a few times since her last chat with her Dad and had not slept well in between, she would be glad when this was all over and she could crawl into her own bed and sleep for a week with her Pirate at her side.

She looked over at the still sleeping man beside her, he looked better, he wasn't nearly as flushed as he had been the night before but his hair was a mess, the salt water had made it stick up in all direction but he looked so sweet lying there with his bed head.

"What are you grinning at Swan" his croaky voice startled her for a second, he obviously wasn't as asleep as she had thought he was.

"You, I'm just glad that you are getting better" she said leaning across and kissing him sweetly on the lips.

He broke out into a wide grin and his eyes twinkled brightly, she sighed deeply, she could get lost in those eyes.

"Come on, I know that you must need to pee by now and I'm sorry but this time I am NOT leaving you to your own devises" she raised her eyebrows at him waiting for him to argue but he didn't

"It's nothing you have not seen before Love, I don't care"

He really trusted her enough to help him do this, her heart swelled with love in that moment but it was all quickly forgotten in the task of helping him sitting up at the side of the bed.

When he had finished she moved to grab his sweatpants back up off the floor but when she realized that there was a blood stain on the back where the branch had punctured his skin she quickly dismissed them. He watched her as she moved over to his closet and pulled it open.

"What are you looking for Swan?" he asked, he currently sat with feet on the floor and the blankets over his lap but she knew that he needed pants on, what if Henry came into the room?

"Oh my God Hook, do you have anything other than leather pants in here?" her voice echoed in the small space she currently had her head jammed into.

She heard him laugh from behind her but it turned in to a pained gasp and she swung around to see him trying to grip his ribs and wearing a look of agony on his face. After a few seconds he opened his eyes again and smiled at her concerned face.

"I am fine Love. Try in the bottom drawer over there, Milah once tried to get me to wear bed clothes but she did not have too much success" he pointed towards a chest of drawers on the corner.

"TMI Hook" she retorted quickly

"What?" he sounded baffled but she was too busy to explain that she didn't really want to hear about his sleeping habits with her own Son's Grandmother... her life was so complicated!

"Never mind" She said as she finally came up with some soft linen pants, they looked ancient but they would just have to do.

She helped him get into them and then lay him back on her side of the bed, she wasn't going to be getting back in so it would be easier for him to be closer to the edge.

"I'm just going to call my Dad, hang on" she brushed the hair from his forehead before she stood from his side.

"Trusting me to be left by myself Swan?" he asked with a grin

"Not even sort of" Emma smiled before pulling the door open and screaming at the pitch of her voice for her Dad.

"So genteel Swan" Hook chuckled, that was not a word that anybody would ever use to describe her.

"You wouldn't have me any other way" she laughed back

A few minutes later David ran into the room.

"What? What's going on?" he breathed heavily, a look of concern on his face.

"You wanted to know when he was awake, now you know" she pointed to Hook lying on the bed and the Pirate only added to the situation by lifting his hand and giving a little wave.

"Emma! I thought something was wrong, don't do that to me. You have legs, you could have just come and found me"

"What and leave him alone? I don't think so, we all know how that ended the last time with Captain Dramatic over there taking a dive into his own pile of puke"

"Hey!" Hook protested

"What? Are you saying that you didn't fall face first into your own vomit? Because I think you'll find that you did and we both saw it so unless you want the whole town to know I suggest that you hold your tongue."

She meant business now and the two men knew it, she could see it on their faces. She bent down and grabbed the chamber pot.

"I am going to empty this and when I get back we are all going to sit down together and figure out how to get home, got it?"

"Aye"

"Yes"

"Good" she nodded her head and walked from the room a smirk appearing on her face. It was good to have her family back to how it should be.

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Killian felt awkward lying at the bottom of the bed, there was nothing for his pillows to rest against so he had to mostly lie flat which made the pulsing pain in his head worse than when he was upright.

"Can I not move back up to the correct end of the bed Mate" he asked David with some hope. "I cannot see what is going on from here"

David moved over to the table and came back with a bottle of water and some pills.

"If you can prove to me that you can take these and drink this I can move you"

Killian was confused, what did that have to do with anything but he threw the pills down his throat and took the water from David after the Prince had removed the lid and gulped it down as quickly as he could. It felt so good going down his dry throat, he hadn't realized how thirsty he was until he had started drinking. He finished the water and handed the empty bottle back to the David as quickly as he could.

"Good" was all David said before putting the bottle on the table then settling himself onto the edge of the bed and taking hold of Killian's hand

"What are you doing?" Killian asked in surprise

"Don't worry I'm not about to propose or anything" David said with a grin "I just need to unhook you from this"

Killian looked down at the tube that was attached to his forearm, how had that gotten there? He narrowed his eyes as he tried to think, an image of David working by his side popped into his mind and his eyes flew wide

"Did you do this?"

"I did, with a little help from Whale and Mary-Margaret" he added with a sly grin

"What? How? Where are they?" Killian was so confused, his head ache muddling his already confused mind.

"Not here you idiot, you think I would have had to do this if Whale was here" the Prince looked annoyed as he worked at disconnecting the tube from his arm but his face changed when he looked up and obviously saw the confused look on Killian's face.

"Sorry, I sometimes forget that you didn't come over with the first curse and didn't get Regina's download of information. I used the radio to speak to them back in town and Mary-Margaret may have used a trick or two to make me believe that I could do it. Once I thought I could it was actually not as hard as I thought it was going to be. There... all done" he gave a triumphant look

Killian looked back down at his arm to find something still attached.

"You missed a bit Mate"

"No, Whale told me to leave that in. You are not out of the woods yet and if you have a relapse I do not want to have to try and put another one of those things in so you'll just need to put up with it for a while longer"

Killian studied his extra attachment for a minute as David moved away from the bed, he didn't understand why they had pierced his skin with a tube but didn't want to ask, the Prince thought he was stupid enough without him asking further questions but David must have caught him looking perplexed as next thing he knew he had sat himself back down on the edge of the bed.

"You had a high fever right?"

"Aye"

"You basically passed out, we couldn't even get you to wake up never mind drink anything. If we had just left you, you would have died. The only way to get you better was by getting fluid back into you along with something called "antibiotics". They would help to fight off the infection that was causing your fever. In this realm we use this system" he pointed at Killian's arm before carrying on. "I connected up a bag of water with other things in it to this tube and ran it straight into your blood. I know it sounds weird but it works, now that you are awake and can take the pills and drink for yourself again it is safe to remove the bag. You'll need to keep taking the antibiotic pills for a few more days and the pain meds for longer but you are making good progress, don't look so worried"

Killian's mind was racing, how did this even make sense? But his confusion was short lived as the Prince pulled back his blankets and helped him to sit up.

"Nice pants" David shot out with a grin

"Do not mock me, these WERE a gift from Milah, be careful what you say" Killian shot back and was happy to see the grin slide from David's face.

It had been awkward as hell and the room had spun dramatically for a split second while he was on his feet and right now he was pretty sure he would have been face down on the floor if it had not been for the iron tight grip the Prince had upon his person but eventually Killian was settling back at the top end of his bed with a sigh of relief. He was tired again and could easily have just closed his eyes against his thumping headache but knew that now was not the right time for sleep, the Prince was waiting on his tale and he needed to tell it. He closed his eyes and waited for Emma to return, he did not want to have to tell this story twice.


	12. Chapter 12

**A tad more hurt Hook for you guys, what is going on with our Pirate?**

 **I have already typed up the next chapter and I LOVE IT, I'm kinda wanting to do a double update tonight just so you guys get it but I am resisting. If you give me lots of nice feedback I'll consider posting it early tomorrow!**

The damned Pirate had fallen asleep again! David was not amused but he still couldn't bring himself to wake the man. Hook had swayed badly when they had moved him up the bed and David couldn't quite shake the feeling that something still wasn't quite right with him but he supposed that considering how bad Hook had been the night before he should just be glad that the Pirate was able to breath for himself let alone anything else.

Emma walked back into the room a few seconds later with Henry in tow, she looked surprised when her eyes fell on her Pirate in his new position.

"What's going on?" she asked, looking to David for answers

"He wanted to be up that end of the bed, I got him to drink a whole bottle of water and take some pills so I was happy enough to take him off the IV line. Keep an eye on him though Emma, I think he's in more pain than he's letting on, something's not right with him of that much I'm sure"

Emma just nodded and brought her hand across Henry's shoulders.

"Henry's going to make some food, you want some?" Emma grinned at him

"What you making Kid?" David spoke to his Grandson

"I found some stew, or there was SpaghettiOs" Henry grinned widely at David's surprised face

"SpaghettiOs!" David laughed out "The fearsome Captain Hook likes SpaghettiOs"

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with SpaghettiOs" Emma defended her man

David just kept grinning before throwing a wink at Henry

"Just make me whatever Kid, can you manage some soup for Hook too?"

"Sure thing Grandpa" Henry gave another wide grin as he headed out the door and towards the galley.

"Don't worry, Leroy's going to help him" Emma said in a low voice once he'd left the room

"Good, I'm quite hungry and wasn't looking forward to pretending to enjoy burnt food" he laughed out.

"What were you saying about Hook when we came in? Sorry, I didn't want to worry Henry" Emma sat herself down on Hook's bedside again

"I'm not sure, maybe I'm just imagining it but I get the feeling that he's hiding something"

"He's good at that" Emma said with a sigh "If he doesn't want us to know what's going on I'm not so sure we'll find out but I'll talk to him, see if I can get to the truth"

David cleared some of the stuff from the table, it had become quite cluttered over the last day and they needed it so they could eat their food. He stood back a few minutes later and watched his Daughter as she sat stroking the side of Hook's face as he slept.

"Let him be Emma, come on" he put out his hand to her then tugged her to her feet. "Sit at the table, Henry should be back any minute"

He was right too as seconds later the boy came back into the room followed by Leroy, they carried in four bowls and dropped them down on to the table. There was stew in three and soup in the other, David was quite glad, he would have eaten the pasta but was happy to know that this had a bit more substance to it, he was hungry but he was also aware that Emma had not eaten much since this all started.

"I'm just gonna go clean up in the galley, I'll grab something to eat there then head out on deck, make sure that we're not caught by surprise if you know what I mean?" Leroy said with a knowing look "Enjoy"

"Thanks Leroy" David and Henry chorused as Henry dropped down into one of the other chairs and started eating straight away but Emma just stared over at the bed obviously more concerned with the Pirate than her own appetite, who could blame her? They hadn't got a clue what Ursula had planned, she could return at any minute and they'd not be able to do a thing about it.

"EAT" David said shoving the bowl in front of her "Please Emma, you need to keep up your strength too, come on, Henry worked hard on this" he knew mentioning her Son would have the right effect and he was right. Her attention came back to the table and she smiled at her Son.

"Thank you Henry" she said to him before finally getting stuck into the food.

David finished first, he picked up the bowl of soup and headed over to the bed. He didn't want Emma having any excuse to stop eating so wanted to be the one helping Hook. He placed the bowl on the side briefly as he woke the Pirate up.

"Hook" he tapped him on the face to bring him round

The Pirate's sleepy eyes creaked open and looked at him, before his brow furrowed and he closed his eyes again with a grimace.

"I've got some food for you" David tried to sound really positive but the Pirate shook his head slightly but stopped quickly wearing a look of pain again. David's worry rose, he needed to speak to the man alone.

He picked up the soup, glanced over his shoulder briefly to see the other two just finishing their food before dropping the bowl from his hand to the floor where it slopped out across the wooden planks.

"Dammit" he yelled out dramatically, he needed Emma to buy this as a accident "Emma can you go and heat up some more soup, Henry can you go help your Mom"

Emma gave him a suspicious look but he just gave her his best "I'm an idiot" look with a shrug of his shoulders before adding "I'll just clean this up while you're gone"

"Come on Henry, grab the bowls we might as well do the washing up while we're there" Emma said while getting to her feet, she paused at the door and threw him another suspicious glare but by this time he had grabbed a cloth and was bending down to clean up the soup from the floor.

The minute they had walked out the door David was back at Hook's side again, the Pirate had closed his eyes again and David feared for a minute that he had been too hasty in removing his IV line but when he spoke to Hook his eyes opened again.

"What is wrong with you? And don't you dare say nothing, I know that there is something, come on I can't help if you don't tell me"

"Head" was the only reply that he got from the man

"You've got a headache?"

"Aye"

"Where? I mean is it all over or is it just in one place?"

David hoped that Hook didn't indicate to the injury that lay behind his right ear but that's exactly where the Pirate's hand motioned toward before falling back onto the bed. Great, just what they didn't need.

"OK, on a scale of 1-10 how painful is it, be truthful" he asked dreading the answer

"6 maybe 7" Hook answered and finally opened his eyes again "It's there all the time but the light makes it worse"

"OK, I'm going to speak to Whale again, you must have hit your head when you were in the water, you have a cut back there that is also quite bruised, I'll see if we can give you more pain meds, hang on"

David pinched the bridge of his nose as he spoke over the radio again, what else could go wrong? He was just glad that the Pirate had finally decided to share what was going on. He looked back over at the bed as he talked to the Doc, Hook had closed his eyes again and he wore a frown on his face.

"I'm worried about him Doc, I think he's in much more pain than he's letting on" David said with a sigh

"OK, you can double up the dose of his pain meds for now and I'll send back something stronger with the Mermaid, she is here right now at the dock. Just keep a close eye on him, if he starts to become disorientated or nauseous get him back on the IV as quickly as possible and contact me ASAP, I'll just need to find a way to get to the ship even if it means getting into scuba gear"

"Thanks Doc" David finished the call, he moved back to the cool box and pulled out another dose of the pain medication before heading back over to the Pirate.

"Hook" he spoke quietly and the the Pirate's eyes peeked open again

"Here, you can take more of these. Whale is sending different meds back with Ariel but this will help for now"

Hook tried to take the pills in his hand but seemed to be having difficulty seeing straight and in the end David just told him to open his mouth and he put the pills straight in then held the water bottle up so that he could wash them down.

"Get some more sleep" David said in a low voice

"No, I need to tell you what happened with Ursula" Hook replied trying to sit himself up a bit further on the bed but he failed miserably slumping back on his pillows in frustration.

"That can wait" Emma's voice came from the door "Killian, you need to listen to my Dad, please"

Hook sighed heavily, wincing as it must have pulled on his sore ribs before finally giving up and relaxing back on his pillows but he didn't close his eyes, he kept them trained on Emma.

"I'm sorry Love" he said with a sad smile.

"Hey it's OK" she gushed out as she came back across the room to his side and David noticed that she hadn't brought back any more soup, he had obviously not been fooling anyone with his poor acting skills.

"We'll deal with Ursula later, we need to make sure you are alright first. We have enough food on board to last us for months, if that's how long it takes well, so be it" she soothed

"Gods, I hope not. I cannot stomach the stuff that the people of this realm insist in sealing inside those little metal cans which is unfortunate as I only discovered that fact after I purchased a whole load of them from a man in the Rabbit Hole, I mean who needs letters in their soup Swan? Answer me that."

David chuckled as he moved away from the bed and rummaged in the blanket cupboard again pulling another thick one out, he headed over to the window and managed to mostly cover it up by removing two hung pictures from the wooden walls and using the nails to poke through the woolen fabric, he lit the lamp again so that there was some light for them to be able to see then headed for the door.

"I'll leave you two alone, Hook we can talk later, do not worry about Ursula right now, get some sleep and hopefully when you wake up you'll feel better" he gave Emma a meaningful look, he wanted to make sure that she knew that he meant it and was happy to see her give him a nod in return.

He walked from the room and headed back up to the deck taking the radio back into his hand, he needed to speak to Mary-Margaret, if they couldn't get the information from Hook maybe just maybe they could get Regina to find out the story from their end. After all what was the point in having an undercover member of the team if they couldn't use her to find out what was going on.

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"You want me to do what now?" Regina's indignant cries sounded across the the loft where they currently stood, Mary-Margaret had hurried back there to have this secret meeting a few minutes before, they needed the Queen's help.

"Please Regina, we need you to try and speak to Ursula. If we can find out what Hook did to her maybe we can figure out a way to set things straight but right now he's not doing too well so we were hoping we could find out what happened from her instead or at least her version of events"

Regina looked shocked for a second at the news about Hook but then her sass was back and she raised one eyebrow high on her forehead.

"Even if I did want to help the Pirate I can't" she started but Mary-Margaret cut her off, she just had to help!

"Please Regina, if you won't do it for Hook do it for Hen..." she trailed off at Regina's thunderous look

"Don't you dare try that tactic with me Mary-Margaret, if you had let me finish I was just about to say that even if I did want to help the Pirate I can't BECAUSE Ursula has gone missing, Gold and Cruella assumed that she was the one who betrayed us with regards to the Author, Ursula hasn't returned as yet for which I am quite thankful. If she does decide to show up how long do you think it would take for Gold to get the truth from her that she had nothing to do with it, she was too busy throwing the good Captain from his own ship to have anything to do with our plans? My cover would be blown and we'd all be in serious trouble so as much as I would like to help Hook AND Henry I can't. I'm sorry"

"I'm sorry Regina, I'm just so worried for Emma, if anything happens to Hook I don't know what she would do"

The former evil Queen bowed her head but came back up with a grin

"If there is one thing I know about Hook it's that he can survive anything, I should know, he survived a failed murder attempt on my Mother."

"What? Why did he want Cora dead? I thought they were friends!"

"My Mother didn't have friends and he didn't want her dead... I did. Look, it's a long complicated tale that is not worth going over right now but maybe I can be of some help after all without actually having to talk to Ursula."

A sudden look of hope appearing on her face before she carried on

"I have heard stories of how Ursula came to be the creature she is today. She is the Daughter of Poseidon and rumor has it that between him and a Pirate, who I can only assume was our Good Captain, she was betrayed and she lost her singing voice. Rumor has it that the Pirate kept it in a small sea shell with a red ruby on one side and that the only way that she could get it back was to retrieve the shell from his possession"

"Thank you Regina, maybe we can find the shell and get her voice back to her." Mary-Margaret was so full of hope again, if they could find the shell maybe things would turn out alright

"Yeah well, don't get your hopes up. Remember that I did not bring Hook or his ship to this realm so if the shell is not on board the Jolly Roger it is more than likely still back in the Enchanted Forest and as we all know it isn't exactly easy just to pop back and grab something that we left behind" the Queen grit out

Mary-Margaret wasn't put off and she rushed forward and hugged Regina tightly "No, I think it's here, I think that's why Hook took Ursula out on his ship, that has to be it, there's no other reason"

Mary-Margaret stepped back to see Regina looking quite awkward about being hugged, she had gotten a bit carried away in the moment but she didn't care, she held some answers that could perhaps help bring her family home.

"Thank you" she gave a thankful smile and was happy to see the Queen smile back.

"I hope you're right Mary-Margaret, I hope you're right" she said back before stepping back and disappearing into a puff of purple smoke.

Mary-Margaret grinned and picked up the radio, she needed to talk to David, now... they had a shell to find!


	13. Chapter 13

**A little bit more hurt Hook followed by a bit of light relief... there has been quite a lot of angst so I felt we could all do with a laugh. Enjoy :D**

Killian woke sometime later and although he could still feel the ache in his head it was much better than it had been earlier. As he lay there he realized he needed a drink as he fell into another coughing fit when his breath caught in his very dry throat. Once he managed to settle back down he also became very aware of how hungry he was as his stomach gave an almighty growl. He peeked his eyes open and looked out into the dim room looking for Emma but she was nowhere to be seen, in fact there was no one there! Instantly his Pirate senses kicked in and he sat bolt upright in the bed, eyes going wide trying to let as much light in as possible so that he could see better.

He pulled himself up onto his feet trying to be as quiet as possible, he didn't know what was going on but if there was someone on board his ship he didn't want to alert them to his presence. Moving was awkward but he managed to take the few steps across to the table before freezing in place when he heard a noise and realized that there was someone going through the lower cupboards on the other side of the room. What the hell was going on?

"Swan?" he spoke quietly and readied himself for a fight in case it wasn't her but sagged in relief when her face appeared a second later illuminated in a ghostly fashion from the light on her talking phone.

"Hook! What are you doing out of bed?" she jumped up on to her feet and started over to his side but he nearly landed on the floor before she got there when David suddenly stepped out from behind one of the tall cupboards and nearly frightened the life out of him.

"Gods... frighten a Pirate to death why don't you Mate? Have I not been through enough man?"

Emma came up to his side and tried to steer him back to the bed but he shook his head and nodded towards the wooden chairs

"Table. I am tired of lying down. Can I have some water please Love?"

Emma looked reluctant but let him sit anyway then handed him a bottle of water after opening it for him, he drank deeply, grateful to be quenching his thirst. David grabbed the blanket covering the window and tugged it down, they all covered their eyes against the bright light but Killian was happy to find it didn't make the pain in his head flare as much as it had before.

"What in the blazes are you doing rummaging through my private stores? I've made men walk the plank for less" Killian said in a tired voice "What were you looking for?"

"I'm sorry Killian, we were looking for a shell?" Emma had the decency to look ashamed but at the mention of the shell Killian forgot his anger, they knew about Ursula's shell.

"Did you find it?" he asked hopefully

"Not yet, where did you put it?" David replied looking like he was ready to fetch it as soon as Hook disclosed it's whereabouts

"It was in my safe but if it is anywhere it will be on the floor somewhere. Ursula had it in her hand when she attacked me." David and Emma instantly dropped onto their hands and knees but came back up empty handed moments later.

"I assume from you looking for the shell that you have figured out how I came to have it? I tried to give her back her voice, really I did but it didn't work and I don't even know why. It looked like it was going too but then the magic just stopped and she refused to help me after that. I got angry, I had held up my end of the deal by giving her the shell but she was now refusing to hold up her end." he grit out in frustration

Emma sighed at him "What did you do?"

"I pulled my pistol out of the safe and threatened her but she was too quick... What have I done Swan? I just made things so much worse, I started off trying to help her, to return what I had taken but in the end I let her down again. I am so sorry"

"Hey, it's not me you have to apologize too. We'll figure this out." Emma said as she came back to his side.

"How? I have no idea where the shell is and even if I did I have no bloody idea why it didn't work!"

"Maybe I can help with that" Ariel's voice came from the cabin door

"Ariel" David exclaimed before rushing to her side "Did Whale send more meds back with you?"

"He did" she handed a small box to the Prince before turning back to Killian.

"Belle did a bit more research after Snow spoke to David, we think that is has to be her Father that returns her voice" the mermaid smiled at him but this didn't make things easier

"I'm sorry Ariel but I am at a loss as to how this makes things better! I have no idea how to find him either. The last time I had dealing's with that man we were back in the Enchanted Forest and I can assure you he is NOT here in Storybrooke, if he were I would have been dead long ago" Hook's head was starting to pulse again but he held back the groan that threatened to escape him unwilling to worry Emma further.

"He is in the Enchanted Forest" Ariel grinned "I opened up a portal and asked my friend Sebastian to see if he could locate him and he did. Hook he is willing to meet me and listen, he wants to find Ursula just as much as we do, he has regretted taking her voice since the day it happened. This is our chance. I just came here first to drop off the box to David, I'm heading off to meet him now"

"Truly?" Killian whispered as he lent forward to rest his good arm on the table for a bit of stability as the room swayed slightly.

"I promise. If I can do this I should be back by tomorrow afternoon at the latest. Then we just need to figure out how to get Ursula here"

"I can do that if someone can get me a conch shell" Killian knew exactly how to summon the sea witch, he had done it already, that was how this whole thing had started.

"Of course, that will work! I can do that too" Ariel said with a huge grin before heading towards the door.

"Thank you Ariel" Emma walked with her "I'll walk you up to the deck"

"Thanks" the mermaid said cheerfully and they left the room.

Killian slumped forward a little, his ribs and shoulder were starting to protest his upright position along with his head and he wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to sit at the small table.

"Hey"

His eyes popped open and met David's, he was crouching down in front of him with a look of concern on his face.

"How's the head?"

"Still attached for the time being, can I trouble you to assist me back to the bed, perhaps sitting here was not such a good idea after all" he couldn't help the groan that escaped him as the room swayed again and his head pulsed in time with his heart, Gods he felt awful.

David stood up and hauled Killian to his feet seconds later, he helped him slowly shuffle his way back to the bed where he sunk gratefully onto his mattress. As soon as he was back under the covers the Prince was back at his side.

"Give me your arm" David said motioning with his head as he sat on the edge of Killian's bed holding a small clear tube of liquid in his hand.

Without hesitation Killian did as he was told even though he had no idea why the Prince wanted it, he watched in awe as David uncapped the end of the tubing that disappeared beneath his skin and attached the thing in his arm to the end. He watched with his eyebrows high on his head as the liquid disappeared into his arm.

"What was that?" he asked in as casual a voice as possible, trying not to sound like he still didn't understand how that thing worked.

"More pain meds, Whale said that this one would help you more than the pills."

Killian pulled in a breath and leant back on his pillows, he was just about to ask David what time it was when his stomach growled loudly again.

"I take it you could use some food" David said with a laugh.

"I wouldn't say no" Killian added with a giggle of his own, he didn't know what the Prince had put in him but he could feel it working already and it felt good, he felt kind of floaty and he giggled again.

"Great, just what I need, a spaced out Pirate" David groused.

"You're head is so big! How have I not noticed that before?" Killian's eyes went wide as he tried to get his eyes to focus on David's overly large face.

"Good grief, what have I done? If I get you food you better not puke it all over the place again, I refuse to spend anymore time cleaning up after you"

The Prince sounded angry, why did he sound angry? It wasn't like he had meant to, how did they say it, "Puke" the day before.

"Whether you meant it or not I still had to clean it up so if you're going to do it again give me a shout and I'll give you something to puke in" David replied to his unspoken question

How did the Prince know what he was thinking? Had a spirit taken over his body?

"Yep, that's right, I know your every thought so why don't you stop that brain of yours before I hear your deepest thoughts"

"What's going on?" Emma said appearing at his side

"Swan" he said then clamped his hand over his mouth before slowly moving it to make a shushing motion "Don't think of anything, you Father has developed the ability to read minds"

"What?" Emma looked confused

"Idiot" David said and walked towards the door "I'm going to make him some soup, good luck getting any sense out of him for the next couple of hours"

Killian watched in wonder, how is he going to get that head through the door?

"I heard that" David yelled as he walked through the doorway

Killian raised his finger and made the shushing motion again then nodded to Emma "I told you Swan, I think he may be possessed!"

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Emma had FINALLY got Hook to lie back and go to sleep, he was like a kid high on sugar and just did not want to give it up. She had also managed to get him to eat most of the bowl of soup which was a relief. She sat back heavily on the wooden chair and sighed out a breath. Could they not just find a happy medium, all she wanted was Hook to not be in pain but she could do without him practically climbing the walls. Her Dad had spoken to Whale again and he had advised him not to give Hook anymore of the morphine after his obvious bad reaction too it so they would just be back to doubling up his original meds until they could get back to town.

"How did you get on?" David whispered as he came back into the room

"He ate most of it and the rest of it ended up down his front... he kept laughing with his mouth full"

David gave a laugh and Emma threw him a dirty look

"It's not funny Dad"

"I know Emma but it kind of is. I am not going to let him live this down anytime soon" he added with a chuckle as he picked up the empty soup bowl.

Emma tried to maintain her death glare but she couldn't help it when she broke out into a smile too.

"He tried to tell me at one point that he was the Dread Pirate Roberts, he insisted on calling me Buttercup and was convinced that you were turning into Fezzik that's why your head had grown so large. Who knew that watching that movie with him would come back and bite me in the ass?" she said with a giggle.

"Whale said that he'll probably sleep right through now, why don't you have an early night? Hopefully we'll be back in Storybrooke this time tomorrow and he'll get the help that he needs. He's going to need surgery on that arm pretty much as soon as we get him back and Whale wants to do a CT scan to check his head"

The words her Dad had spoken were sobering, it was hard to remember that Hook was still really ill when just a few minutes before he had been so lively but she had to remember that that was the morphine working on him and not a true representation of how he was really feeling.

"He'll be OK Emma, Whale will get him sorted" he gave her a reassuring smile "Go to bed and I'll see you in the morning when I'll get to remind the Pirate that he thought I was possessed by the spirit of Andre the Giant"

Emma laughed again, yep, her Pirate could really take things to the extreme.

"Night Dad"

"Love you" he said pulling her into a hug

"You too" she replied as she hugged him back.

A few minutes later she was crawling up the bed beside her Pirate after taking a trip to the bathroom. She pulled the covers over herself and laid back against the soft pillows closing her eyes with a sigh.

"Has Fezzik gone to get the white horses?" Hook's voice sounded out beside her and she couldn't help but smile

"Yes Westley, he has. He won't be back for a while though so why don't you get some sleep? We have a long journey back to Florin in the morning and you need to keep your strength"

"That is true my Lady, you are quite correct. After all, I have been mostly dead all day"

Emma had no words!


	14. Chapter 14

**Poor Hook is really starting to suffer now... Let's move quickly on so that he can get some help before it is too late!**

Emma felt the bed move beside her as Hook woke up, Whale had been right, once she had got him back to sleep the night before he had mostly slept right through only briefly waking and mumbling something about trying to escape the pit of despair! Emma on the other hand had barely slept at all, she couldn't get her mind to slow down enough, her Dad's words kept going round and round in her head.

"Whale wants to do a CT scan to check his head". Her Dad's voice sounded in her brain once more and she sighed against the memory.

She looked to her left expecting the Pirate to smile at her but she was instantly moving to her knees when he suddenly gave a guttural groan and brought his right arm up and across his face covering his eyes with the crook of his elbow.

"Hook what's wrong? Please, talk to me... Killian?!"

He lay in silence for a few seconds before he finally pulled his arm back letting it drop with a thump onto the bed and turned to face her.

"Swan..." he sighed heavily and closed his eyes again.

Emma was ready to scream

"What? Would you just tell me what is wrong?"

"Please tell me it was all a bad dream and I did not spend a large amount of last night insisting that your Father was that damned Giant, Fezzik?!"

Emma let out a sigh of relief

"REALLY?! I thought there was something wrong with you, you damned Pirate and sorry, as much as I'd like to tell you that you didn't, I can't, that would be a lie." she chuckled then asked "How much do you remember?" she was curious what effects the drug had had on him

"I am ashamed to say that I think I remember it all, just kill me now Swan"

"Yeah well, I'm sure whatever you don't remember my Dad will be only too happy to remind you of later"

Hook threw his arm back across his eyes dramatically and let out another groan. Emma couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face, it was nice to see him joking again.

"Come on Pirate, let's get you up and washed. You went to sleep wearing most of your soup last night"

She laughed again as he pulled his arm back and looked down at himself

"Maybe I was trying to improve the look of this blasted sheet that your Father has attached to my person"

"Come on, sit up and I'll get my Dad to come and help us. If you don't mind sacrificing another sheet I'm sure we can do something about that."

"I want clothes too Swan, I refuse to meet the bloody Sea King in my nightwear"

"I'm sure we can sort something out" she smiled at him as he let his feet swing down onto the floor.

He winced again and gripped her arm tightly as if trying to steady himself.

"Head still giving you bother?" she asked coming down into a crouch in front of him.

"Aye Love but hopefully by tonight we will be back in town, I can put up with it until then, don't you worry about me" he gave her a quick smile.

She looked him in the face, really studied him for a minute and she could tell that he felt terrible. He had a light sheen of sweat across his skin and the hollows under his eyes had taken on bruised tinge. She reached up and cupped her hand to the side of his face and rubbed her thumb across his cheek gently, he lent into her touch and smiled.

"You sure you are up for this?"

"Aye Love, I need to do it. I will be fine."

She just nodded before standing and heading towards the door, she walked out into the small corridor pulling the door closed behind her before she shouted on her Dad again, she didn't want to add to Hook's headache by screaming in his ear. She was worried about him but he was right, he would hopefully be in the hospital soon then they could all relax a bit.

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Killian felt awful as he sat on the edge of his bed waiting for Emma to return into the room. With every heartbeat he could feel the pain in his head pulsing, it was getting harder to keep his true feelings hidden from her but he was unwilling to stop trying just yet, if he could manage to maintain his facade until they got back to town he knew that Whale would do his best to fix whatever was happening to him.

The nausea that kept rumbling through him was becoming more frequent too and he was fearful that it would soon manifest itself into an actual bout of vomiting, an experience he did not want to repeat after the last time, the pain he had felt was indescribable.

He wished that David would hurry up and return so that he could get some pain relief although he was adamant in his mind that it would not be in the form of that liquid that the Prince had given him the night before. The last thing he needed was to make a fool of himself in front of Poseidon

Emma opened the door a second later and he looked up to see both her and the Prince walk back into the room.

"Good Morning Roberts" David grinned widely

"Fezzik" he threw back in return making the Prince laugh loudly, he may as well play along, if David was engaged in word play maybe he would be distracted enough not to look too closely at him.

"Ready for more meds"

"Aye Mate but not that damned stuff you gave me last night. Are you sure that no one placed an enchantment on it before you gave it to me? Not even in my most drunken state have I had visions as strange as the ones I experienced last night"

David laughed again "I'm sure and don't worry, Whale has banned me from giving you anymore anyway"

Killian sighed in relief. He had to force himself not to snatch the pills that David held out for him a few minutes later instead he took them slowly, tossing them in his hand casually for a second before palming them down his throat.

"Here, you need this one too" David said handing him the brightly colored pill that he recognized as the antibiotic

"Thanks Mate. Now Swan said that you could help fashion me a new brace for my arm from a not so flamboyant sheet. While I plan on wearing a shirt over myself when meeting the Sea King I am fully aware that I will, at some point be stripped of my clothes by the good Doctor and his lovely crew back in town and I do not wish for the world to see this monstrosity"

"Sure, any sheet you don't want me to use?"

"Use whatever bloody one you want Mate, as long as you get this one off me in the next five minutes"

"Make it ten and you've got a deal" David grinned as he moved towards the linen cupboard again.

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As it turned out it took much longer to strip the old bandaging off and apply the new one. Emma had quickly washed the Pirate down once the flowery sheet had been removed. They had checked the open wounds on his back too and while they were far from being perfect David was happy to see that the swelling had gone down considerably on the deep gouge in his hip.

They had tried to be as gentle as possible but no matter how delicately they had moved the Pirate had ended up gasping in pain. By the time they were finished Hook hung limply in Emma's arms again and they hadn't even got him dressed yet.

"Hook, I really think you should rest first before we try and dress you" Emma said with concern

She had spoken gently into Hook's ear but David was not surprised when the Pirate pulled himself upright and shook his head.

"No, I need to be ready, Poseidon could be here at any time. I need to be on deck to meet him"

"Hook, you can barely sit up never mind stand on deck" David replied in an exasperated voice.

"I will manage, you just worry about patching me up and I will worry about carrying out the duties that are required of this ship's Captain."

Hook gave him such a convincing look that in that moment David knew that the Pirate would do this whether he helped him or not.

"Fine but we do this my way... no arguments"

Thirty minutes later Hook lay back across his bed on top of the covers, he wore a large black baggy shirt with the left sleeve pulled inside out, his usual leather pants and an old pair of boots, he wasn't sleeping but he wasn't fully aware of what was going on either and David was worried.

"He's in no fit state to be doing this Dad" Emma said in a pleading voice.

"Emma, he is a man of honor, he will do this with or without our help. Do you not understand that he NEEDS to do this. He needs to set this right. It's still early and we've not had any word from Ariel yet, let him rest for the moment. I'm going up on deck to sort out something, I'll be back in a while to help take him up."

"Dad..."

"Emma, trust me, he needs to do this but I am going to make sure that it is as easy as possible for him."

His Daughter just smiled at him and nodded her head as he left the room, he needed to find Leroy. They had work to do if he was going to be able to let the Pirate wait up on deck for the Sea King. He picked up his pace and headed for the bunk room to grab something, he understood why Hook had insisted that he be on deck when Poseidon arrived but it didn't mean that he had to be standing the whole time he was waiting.

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David stood back and admired their handy work, between himself, Leroy and Henry they had managed to stretch a hammock out across the deck. It was attached to the large banisters that ran up either side of the ship to the quarter deck. Hook could happily wait on deck for Poseidon without having to put himself through more pain.

It was still quite chilly due to the fog but with a couple of heating pads and a thick blanket Hook would be just fine. He grinned widely at their work, clapped his hands on both his helper's backs as they stood either side of him then headed back below deck with Henry close behind him to retrieve the Pirate Captain.

He pushed the door open to Hook's cabin to find the man in question sitting up on the side of the bed, he was slumped forward but with the noise David made he straightened up and pulled a smile onto his face. David chose to ignore the obvious, the man was in pain again.

"Are you ready Captain?"

"Aye" Hook replied as he tried to shuffle himself forward.

"Would you just wait" Emma yelled and placed a hand on Hook's shoulder to stop him moving

"Emma's right, we need to take this slowly. Henry can you follow us? Bring one of those chairs I have a feeling we will be stopping a few times before we hit the deck"

Henry nodded and moved to the table to grab a chair. David went over to Hook's side and helped Emma pull him to his feet.

"Slowly" he said in a firm tone, he was sure that Hook gave him the stink eye but they were moving before he had chance to comment.

It was tortuously slow, Hook had to stop every few steps and by the time they got on to the deck all pretense was gone as David and Emma practically carried Hook the last few feet toward the hammock.

"Henry, can you go back to the cabin and grab a couple of the heat pads, a blanket and a pillow please?" David asked his Grandson

The kid just nodded, a slight look of concern on his face before he turned and ran back below deck again.

They lowered Hook down slowly so that he sat sideways across the hammock with his feet just above the floor. He looked terrible as he lay back panting heavily, his eyes kept rolling in his head and David could clearly see that the bright light was bothering him again.

Henry returned quickly and David grabbed the supplies handing one of the heat pads to Emma to activate. They settled them quickly on the Pirate's front then covered him up with the blanket before Emma helped Hook get the pillow under his head. By the time they were finished he was nearly sleeping and David would have been a whole lot happier if he had been. The Pirate was being stubborn, he needed the sleep to be able to function when the others arrived but didn't want to in case they arrive when he was asleep.

Emma stood back, she took hold of the edge of the hammock and started to make it move, it was a good tactic, as the Pirate swung back and forth gently the grimace fell bit by bit from his face and eventually his features smoothed out in sleep once more.

"This needs to be over" Emma said stepping back "His head is getting worse isn't it"

She looked at him and David knew he couldn't hide the truth from her.

"I think so, Whale told me to look out for bruising around his eyes, it's a sign of a skull fracture and I noticed this morning that he's got some. It's light but it's definitely there. No wonder he's finding this hard Emma, it must be agony"

Tears shone on Emma's lashes for a second before she sucked in a breath and wiped them away.

"Well we'll just need to make sure that we get Ursula back her happy ending quickly so we can get him patched up and back on his feet, that way he can get on with trying to find his"


	15. Chapter 15

**A wee bit of Captain Cobra for you guys, they are so cute together, I love how Hook always looks out for Henry.**

Henry stood up on the quarter deck looking out over the rest of the ship, his Mom and Grandpa stood at the stern staring out into the thick fog. His Grandpas had his arm wrapped round his Mom's shoulders and had pulled her into a sideways hug a few minutes ago. Henry wasn't stupid he knew that there was something going on with Killian, something more than the obvious that was. They had settled the Pirate onto the hammock about an hour before and he still hadn't woken up yet.

Henry gave a sigh as he lent on the wooden rail and looked straight down at the Pirate below him as he swung back and forth in the hammock. When they had covered Killian up in one of his blankets Henry had seen how worried his Grandpa was by the way he fussed over him, that was not normal between the two of them, his Grandpa didn't fuss unless there was something wrong.

Henry was pulled from his musings when his eyes fell on Killian's face to find that the Pirate was staring straight up at him, when had he woken up?

"Penny for your thoughts Lad" Killian said in a slightly muffled voice as the blanket covered the bottom half of his face.

"Killian! I'm so happy that you are awake" Henry beamed back "Hang on, I'm coming down"

He took off quickly and was soon standing next to the hammock, Killian had pulled the blanket away from his face, had also managed to move himself so that his feet were touching the ground and he was sitting more upright as apposed to lying down like he had been seconds before.

"How are you feeling?"

"I will be fine Lad" He replied through a yawn.

"Yeah but that's not what I asked, is it?" Henry raised a brow as Killian chuckled

"Smart Lad. Alright, I am still quite tired, my head hurts a bit but not as much as before and my ribs feel like someone has fired a cannonball against them... good enough for you"

"I'm sorry" Henry said in a sad voice.

"Henry, none of this is your fault, you have nothing to be sorry for"

"I know but I still am"

"Aye Lad I can see that... thank you"

Silence fell between the two for a few seconds before Henry turned back to Killian.

"How long was my Dad on board the Jolly Roger, Killian?"

"That's a hard question to answer Lad, time works differently in Neverland as you know but let's just say that I wish it had been longer. We spent many a day on this very deck, I taught him how to use a sword and how to read the stars among other things, they were good days." Killian gave a sad sigh

"Would you really have given up your revenge if my Dad had agreed to stay with you?"

"How do you know about that?"

"My Dad told me. He said that at the time he thought that you were lying but later he wasn't so sure, were you lying Killian?"

"No... I would have done anything for Baelfire, he was a part a of Milah aftre all, she wanted him to be happy and so did I" Killian looked hurt that he doubted him so Henry looked to change the direction of the conversation.

"Tell me about him... my Dad. I mean, I know some of the things that he did but there has to be so much more that I don't know"

"Aye Lad, there are so many tales. Come, join me and I shall tell you all about them" Killian motioned for Henry to join him in the hammock.

"I don't know Killian, I don't want to hurt you" Henry said in earnest, he really didn't want to add to his injuries.

"It will be fine Lad as long as you stay on my right, come on" he pulled the blanket back and motioned for Henry to sit.

Henry nervously moved forward before turning around and gently lowering himself down next to Killian. As soon as he was sitting back Killian lifted his foot from the deck and they swung freely back and forth. Killian closed his eyes for a minute, he furrowed his brow and drew in a couple of big breaths.

"Killian?"

"I'm just a bit dizzy Lad, give me a minute, I'll be alright in a moment."

Henry lay quietly waiting for Killian to recover from his dizzy spell but the Pirate didn't look well, he looked like he could puke at any minute and Henry just hoped that he didn't. To his relief after a couple more deep breaths Killian opened his eyes again and smiled at him. Henry must have looked really worried because Killian tried to reassure him.

"I'm fine Henry." he tried to look convincing but Henry wasn't buying it.

Henry was just about to voice this when he suddenly thought that perhaps he needed to distract Killian away from the topic instead of keep making him think about how awful he felt.

"So a funny thing happened to me the other night" Henry said cryptically turning his head to grin at the Pirate.

"Aye and what would that be Lad?" he asked raising an eyebrow in question

"Well I was lying on my bunk, Grandpa had told me which one my Dad used to use so I had decided to sleep there, it just felt kinda right, you know?"

Killian just gave a knowing smile so Henry carried on.

"I was lying on my back staring at the ceiling and..."

"You found your Father's name carved into the wood!" Killian broke out into a wide smile "Aye Lad, I have seen it. If I had known about it at the time he probably would have been flogged but now I like it there, I feel like there is a part of him here with me"

"You would have flogged him? Really?" Henry was nervous, he had carved his name right next to his Dad's

Killian's brow fell into a thoughtful look as he studied Henry carefully.

"You carved your name next to your Father's didn't you?"

Henry swallowed hard before cringing "Sorry"

"Worry not Lad, it is how it should be. Baelfire would be happy to know that you followed in his footsteps"

Henry sighed a huge sigh of relief

"You really thought that I would flog you Henry?" Killian said in a small voice, he looked hurt that Henry had thought it.

"No, I just suddenly thought you might get mad"

"Maybe in years gone by but now..." he gave another thoughtful look "Henry, this ship is as much yours as she is mine, we are family now you and I and she likes you."

"She likes me?" Henry asked doubtfully "It's just a ship"

"You will learn Lad, she is anything but just a ship. She is made from enchanted wood and she bonds with people, believe me if she didn't like you, you would not have been able to carve your name upon her boards"

"Really? How do you know?"

"She speaks to me. Not in the conventional manner but we have a connection, how else would I know that you had carved your name next to your Father's? I have been nowhere near the bunk room , have I? She spoke to me Henry and do you know what she said?"

"That I have really bad carving skills?"

Killian laughed hard then clutched his ribs but never took the smile form his face.

"She said that one day she would be yours... "

Henry's eyes went wide, what? He would own the Jolly Roger? How was this even possible?

"What? How?" he blurted out

"I do not know Henry but she has chosen her next Captain. Don't get too excited Lad, I intend to remain in charge for many years to come, you will just need to come into training as my first mate"

"REALLY? You mean it?"

"Would I say it if it wasn't true?"

"Awesome" Henry breathed out, he would own a Pirate ship one day. He lay grinning to himself but the smile slid from his face when he looked back at Killian and he had closed his eyes again, he didn't look good.

"Killian?"

"Aye lad" Killian creaked one eye open at him

"I don't want her if you're not here too. You are going to be alright, aren't you?"

"Don't worry about me Henry" he closed his eye again and settled back into his pillow "As long as I get back to town soon Whale will sort me out"

He gave a sigh then his eyes popped open again and he turned to look at Henry, a look of horror on his face.

"Henry Promise me that if I don't get back in time and the worst happens that you do not allow that man to touch my corpse, I do not want to spend the rest of eternity with bolts in my neck!"

"Killian! Don't even joke about it"

"Believe me Lad I am not joking, I do not want bolts in my neck. I would not be able to wear my best leather coat, the collar is all wrong!... I am joking Henry, I am fine, please stop worrying for me"

"I can't help it Killian, you are my friend"

"Then as your friend I promise you that I will be just fine, I would be even better if you could get me some water though and if you could ask your Grandpa if he would be kind enough to assist me for a minute"

"Sure, I'll go get him" Henry gave a chuckle, yeah Killian would be fine, it was a bit of a struggle but he managed to get out of the hammock without hurting Killian then headed off towards the stern to get his Grandpa, he smiled happily as he looked at the Jolly in a new light, she had really chosen him to be her next Captain? This was so cool.

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Killian lent back in the hammock with a slight smile on his face, the boy was almost as easy to read as his Mother. The worried look on his face when he had said that he would have flogged Baelfire for carving his name upon his ship had given away the fact that he too had taken a knife to her boards. He hadn't been lying about the Jolly being made of enchanted wood or their strange connection but he may have slightly exaggerated her abilities. He knew that he was right though, one day the Jolly Roger would indeed belong to Henry he would see to that, he was Milah's Grandson after all and she had loved this ship as much as he did, it was only fitting that the Jolly should go to him.

He needed to speak to David, he had no idea what time it was or if they had heard from Ariel yet. He tried to sit himself up a bit but another bout of dizziness washed over him and he let a groan escape his lips as he slammed his eyes shut against the wave of nausea.

"Hook? You alright?" David's voice startled him for a second

"Help me up, the swing of this hammock is making my head spin" he breathed out between gulping breaths.

David came forward and took hold of his arm, tugging him to his feet as gently as possible but the nausea was not leaving him this time and he knew quickly that he was going to be sick. David must have known it too and he pulled him quickly to the side of the ship and let him lean on the rail.

Killian's world descended into chaos once more as his stomach finally revolted, the meager contents disappearing into the waves below him. He only stayed upright due to the Prince's grip on him and as soon as he stopped sending his guts overboard David slowly lowered him down onto the deck. Killian was vaguely aware of the Prince speaking to him but his head was pounding now and he couldn't think, he couldn't do anything other than pull in breath after breath trying to steady his stomach. He had broken out into a cold sweat and as he now lay on the cool deck he gave an involuntary shiver.

"Killian" he heard Henry's worried cry

What had he done? He had promised the boy that he would be fine with one breath then collapsed in a heap with his next, the boy did not need to be see this. He managed to open his eyes, he locked his gaze on Henry and panted out

"I promised Lad... I will be by your side... I give you my word"

He tried to focus his mind but the pain in his head was stealing his thoughts, dark dots danced in his vision as he tried to stay conscious. He felt his head being lifted slightly and a pillow being placed underneath then the cold was suddenly blocked out as he was covered by a blanket right there on the deck of his beloved ship. He breathed harshly, ragged breaths rasping in and out of his mouth as he finally heard Swan's voice at his side.

"Killian listen to me, come on just relax, I've got you, take some deep breaths and the feeling will pass"

He felt her stroking the side of his face and bit by bit he managed to calm his breathing down and she was right, after the longest few minutes of his life he finally managed to pull his eyes open and look her in the face.

"Hey" she smiled

"Swan, what is happening to me?" He was beyond confused now, he had never felt this way in his whole three hundred years of life, he felt like death would be a blessing, would this ever be over?

"When you hit your head Whale thinks that you might have damaged your skull but as soon as we get you to hospital he is going to do a test to check. It will be OK Killian, you'll be there soon then you'll feel a whole lot better, I promise"

He gave her a tired smile just as David spoke

"Right Pirate I don't care how much you protest you are going back to bed, you are not well enough to be out in this fog and right now you need to sleep which I am sure you will find much easier to do down in your cabin"

He left no room for argument but even if he had Killian had no intention of doing so, he felt awful and right now his bed sounded like heaven on earth.

"Do you hear me arguing?" he grit out.

"No and that's what's worrying me" David bit back then turned to Henry "He'll be fine Kid, come on, can you help? I need you to take the blanket and his pillow for me. Right Hook we are going to get you to your feet in just a second then we will move slowly towards the door. If you need to stop just stop, if you are going to puke give me some warning and we'll try and make it as painless as possible. Right, ready?"

Killian didn't say a word, he just raised his good arm up so that the Prince could take hold of it. Getting him upright was a lot more difficult than him lying down had been, his vision swam and at one point he thought he was going to end up back on the deck but Emma and David kept him on his feet. They were just about to start moving when Henry let out a yell.

"Killian look, he's here"

Killian lifted his head and squinted against the brightness to see a figure emerging from the waves, he was clad in gold and held a trident in his hands for all to see. Killian immediately pulled himself up straight and with new determination he moved away from the door to the lower deck and stepped purposefully towards the deity.

"You don't have to do this here" Emma whispered as he moved slowly towards the stern "I'm sure Poseidon would understand"

"No Love, here is where I first met him and here is where I will finally put right my greatest wrong."

He turned his face to look upon his Swan, she was so beautiful, he just hoped that this meeting played out the way that he wanted and prayed to the gods above to give him strength to carry out his task. He pulled in a steadying breath and stepped out of their embrace to make the final few steps by himself. He wore his most sincere look as his eyes came up to meet the King of the Sea, face to face for the first time in centuries he just hoped that it was not the last face he laid eyes on as the deity curled his lip into a grin that he couldn't quite read.

"Hook, finally I have found you... I have been searching for you for a very, very long time"


	16. Chapter 16

**So will Poseidon be all that is expected?**

 **Will they finally get Ursula to get them home or will something else go wrong?**

 **Let's find out...**

David stood nervously watching as Poseidon spoke his first words.

"Hook, finally I have found you... I have been searching for you for a very, very long time."

The deity wore an unreadable look and David clenched his fist by his side, he was ready to leap into action if he needed to, the Pirate was in no fit state to defend himself if Poseidon attacked.

"I am glad we get to do this over, our first meeting was not one that I would wish to repeat anytime soon. I have heard many stories about you since we last met and I am happy to say that in recent years they have became tales of a good man trying to turn his life around, no longer was the Pirate I knew so hell bent on revenge that he would cross anybody to get what he desired. I too have learned from my mistakes, I was wrong also. I have learnt that not all human's are as terrible as the ones that took my poor wife from me and my Daughter. I just wish it hadn't taken me losing my Ursula to make me realize it"

David relaxed his stance and let out a sigh of relief, noticed Emma do the same at his side as Poseidon stepped forward and extended his arm out to Hook. The Pirate took it in a strong handshake but before anybody could do anything the deity raised his other hand and clapped it on Hook's right shoulder eliciting a groan from the Pirate as his whole body moved with the action.

David launched himself forward ready to grab Hook if he fell but Poseidon had obviously realized his error and kept a tight grip on Hook's good arm steering him to sit down on the flat doors to the hold.

"Sit" he commanded "I see that my Daughter is not as forgiving as I am, the mermaid Ariel said that you had had a run in with Ursula but she left out the finer details"

Hook breathed heavily for a few seconds blinking his eyes widely obviously trying to clear his vision, David was just glad that he hadn't passed out again, the man had spent entirely too much time lying on the floor recently.

"Aye, she made her feelings for me very clear" Hook grit out

"Ariel said that you could summon her here if I gave you this" Poseidon pulled out a conch shell from a small bag that he wore across this front "I have tried many times but if she comes she doesn't show herself to me so I hope that you have more luck"

"Me too mate, me too" Hook said with a sigh as he brought his hand up to the back of his neck and tilted his head back slightly, wincing at the motion.

David could literally see the Pirate wilting before his eyes, he wouldn't be able to use the conch shell, hell he could hardly stay upright never mind try to pull in a deep enough breath to summon the sea witch. He stepped forward.

"Hook, let me." he put out his hand and although the Pirate hesitated he must have came to the same conclusion as David had minutes before as he just nodded his head in acceptance of his offer.

David took the shell and walked over to the side of the ship, he briefly glanced back at the Pirate who gave him another nod. David raised the shell to his mouth and blew with all his might, the sound echoed out around them sending an eerie chill through the air, David paused but when nothing happened he raised it again and repeated his action.

Nothing happened, not a single thing, everything remained as it was.

"Obviously Ursula is in no mood to talk to me either" Hook sighed out.

"So it would seem" Poseidon agreed with a sigh of his own.

"But we need her to come here, she is our only way home" Emma exclaimed, eyes going wide in fear.

"I may be able to help with that, while I cannot open portals like my Daughter and transport you back to town I can clear up this fog for you."

Poseidon raised his arms to the sky and instantly the fog started to swirl about them, the ship gave a slight rock and a creak as the fog left them and David noticed that Hook gave a smile.

"What are you smiling at?" David said with a smile of his own as he came to Hook's side

"She knows we're going home" Hook replied as if it wasn't the craziest thing he had ever heard

Henry suddenly gasped "I feel it Killian, I can feel her too! It's like she is excited to get underway"

The ship gave another lurch, straining against her anchor and Hooked grinned even wider.

"Aye Lad that's exactly what she is saying so why don't you go and raise her anchor before she pulls it clean off"

David got to his feet and gave the Pirate a nod, he would go up to the helm, he was pretty sure he could steer them home.

"Leroy can you help Henry?" David yelled before he turned to Poseidon "Thank you"

"I have heard good things of you too young man, I am glad that I could help and perhaps one day we will get to meet again if Ursula ever sees it in her heart to forgive me."

David stepped forward and shook the deity's hand "I hope we see that day too"

"Hook, I must go. I have ensured that the fog will not be able to return, you should be back in town soon, I suggest you get some help"

"Believe me that is exactly what I plan to do" the Pirate said with a wry smile.

"Emma Swan" Poseidon said with a smile as he turned to face her "Walk with me, I may have some news that will interest you"

Emma raised her eyebrows in surprise but nodded anyway, the two of them walked slowly down the ship towards the stern.

"What do you think that was about?" David asked Hook

"Who knows mate but if the Sea King has news for Emma I am not going to complain, he is a wise man."

Now that the fog had cleared the sun was beating down on the deck, Hook had his eyes closed and his head tipped back slightly with his face to the sky. He was smiling to himself and David noticed his hand was rubbing back and forth on the hold doors that he sat on.

"She really speaks to you?" he asked curiously

Hook peaked open an eye keeping it mostly closed against the bright light but he wore a wide grin on his face.

"Aye and apparently Henry now too"

"Well just tell her to be nice to me, I have limited knowledge of how to steer a ship of this size"

"You will be fine Mate... she likes you too" Hook raised one eyebrow then closed his eye again

David smirked to himself as he walked up to the helm, he wasn't sure if the Pirate was being serious or not but he couldn't help the strange feeling of calm that spread through him when he finally laid his hands on the large wooden wheel. He could still feel the ship tugging against it's anchor until it was suddenly freed, she lurched forward and he was sure that he could feel her steering herself guiding his hands to where they needed to be.

"That's it, you get your Captain back to town as quickly as you can" he said with a smile on his face, he couldn't quite believe it, was talking to a ship!

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Emma walked down the ship with Poseidon at her side, she glanced over her shoulder to see Hook still sitting on the hold doors, her Dad was at the helm and Leroy and Henry were pulling up the anchor, Henry was laughing loudly at the Dwarf for some reason or another but he looked happy.

"So, I finally get to meet THE Emma Swan" Poseidon suddenly said bringing her back to herself

"Looks like it" she answered "just hope you're not too disappointed"

"Not at all" he laughed loudly "You are the Savior after all, I am in awe of you. You made the ultimate sacrifices in your life to ensure that an entire realm could survive a dark curse"

"To be fair, I didn't choose to do it" Emma added with a chuckle

"Yes but you could have just carried on with your life, here in this land but you chose to break the curse, that is not something to be ignored, that is a thing of wonder."

"How do you know so much about all of this?" Emma said suddenly turning to the Sea King

"Emma, you are legendary in many lands not just your own but I have a warning for you."

Emma was confused, what could Poseidon possibly tell her that was so important, he gave her a serious look and spoke.

"When my daughter brought Hook's ship back to this realm a few days ago it was the first time she had ventured into the oceans since the day she left me all those years ago. She is connected to me whether she wants to be or not, that is how I knew that she had planned to run away with Hook all those years ago and found her on board this very ship. Anyway when she touched the water I could sense what she was thinking in that moment. Her touch was too brief for me to sense where she was and I thought that I had missed my chance to find her once more until Ariel came to me."

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure what this has to do with me" Emma said earnestly

"My Daughter has been working with others" the deity added

"I know that already" Emma was getting frustrated, this was nothing new

"Yes but did you know that they are planning to turn your heart dark? That is their plan, I don't know why, Ursula only thought of the task not the reasoning behind it."

"Well if that's their plan they will fail... that is just ridiculous, they will not turn my heart dark" Emma scoffed

"Don't be so sure Emma, if I know anything about the Dark One it is that when he sets his mind to something he will usually succeed"

"Yeah well, that doesn't work with me... Thanks for telling me and I will keep it in mind but right now I just want to get Hook back to Storybrooke"

Emma gave Poseidon a sincere smile, she really did appreciate him trying to help her but right now she just wanted to be back by her Pirate's side. She turned to look back at him as he sat on the hold door but the sight that met her had her heart leaping into her throat. Hook was completely oblivious as he sat with his eyes closed, he had no idea that Ursula was standing right behind him, a look of pure hate across her features.

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Killian had let the blanket drop a little from his shoulders, the warm sun shone down on him as he sat on the deck of the Jolly and he was so happy, he had truly believed when he had traded her for that bean that he would never see her again but here he was once again reunited with her. He felt Emma's hand slide over his right shoulder and he lent to the side expecting her to embrace him.

"Hello Love" he breathed out

"Hello Hook!"

His eyes flew open and his stomach dropped, that was not Emma! He tried to pull himself away but the tentacle that he had thought was Emma's hand seconds before snaked it's way around his torso and tightened. He couldn't breath as the pain in his ribs flared horribly and in an instant he was hoisted into the air again.

"Ursula... please... you have to listen... to me" he managed to grit out between agonizing gasps.

He could hear Emma screaming his name from somewhere but his eyes had closed, he couldn't control them anymore, the pain in his chest was getting too much and as the sea witch squeezed harder the pressure in his head built too.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" the scream was ripped from his gaping mouth.

"I think you'll find that I don't need to do anything you say Hook. Why couldn't you have just died when I threw you in the water? It would have saved you all this pain" Ursula's voice sounded like it was everywhere, he couldn't tell where she was, she was inside his head.

She gave an almighty laugh and squeezed harder, that's when Hook's world went dark. His breath hitched in his throat as he felt one of his already damaged ribs snap in his chest with an audible crack, suddenly he couldn't breath, he couldn't do anything and the darkness rushed in and he knew no more.

 **Sorry for the cliffy but I couldn't help it Mwahahahaha... remember reviews make me happy and happy me means more hurt Hook lol #JustSaying**


	17. Chapter 17

**So apparently you guys don't like cliffhangers... who knew? * whistles innocently ***

 **A bit of an early update as I am busy later so I hope you enjoy this.**

 **Anyway I should really get poor Hook down, he has been hanging in the air all night after all!**

 **Enjoy**

David couldn't quite comprehend what he was seeing as the Pirate suddenly appeared in his eye line, what the hell? Emma was yelling Hook's name from the other end of the ship and she wore a look of total anguish across her features but David's brain still couldn't figure out what was happening. He surged forward grinding to a halt at the top of the stairs leading down to the main deck, his eyes going wide at the sight before him. Ursula stood with her back to him but he could hear her laughing loudly as the Pirate pleaded for her to listen to him before a scream was ripped from his mouth. David watched him in horror as Hook tried in vain to gasp in a breath before going completely limp, held high above the deck by the damned sea witch's tentacle.

David was just about to launch himself into action when Poseidon's voice boomed from everywhere, it sounded like it came from the very skies above them and Ursula stilled at the sound of her Father calling her name.

"Daddy?" she said in a small voice, her concentration dropping for a second meant that Hook dropped slightly and hung just above the deck. David moved slowly down the stairs and he could almost reach the Pirate as he hung lifelessly before him.

"Ursula, put Hook down honey, he was just trying to help you"

Ursula snarled and turned to look at the Pirate hoisting him back into the air as her eyes fell on David.

"Back off" she grit out pulling Hook closer to herself

"URSULA" Poseidon yelled again taking the witch's attention back in the other direction. David moved again trying to position himself as close to the Pirate as possible so that if Ursula let him down he would be there quickly.

"He might have tried to help me Daddy but he failed, it didn't work... I still don't have my voice! It is gone forever and you helped him take it from me so I don't think you get a say in any of this" She yelled back, her voice high in anger.

"Ursula, it didn't work because Hook was not the person who took your voice"

"HE DID... I WAS THERE, REMEMBER?" she screamed

"He may have held the shell but it was I who enchanted it... It was me who took it and only I can return it. Do you still have the shell my Love?"

David watched as Ursula obviously fought an inner battle, her hand hovered over her left jacket pocket for a second before sliding in and retrieving the shell. She held it in her hand and stared at it for a few seconds before finally lifting her gaze to her Father.

"Do you mean it?"

"Give it to me, I promise I am telling the truth" Poseidon's tone was soft and his eyes shone with tears "Let me fix this, let me return your Mother to you"

Ursula gasped in a breath, she stepped forward and as she went Hook slowly dropped onto the deck. David watched as her tentacle unfurled and withdrew back underneath her skirt and he didn't wait, he was moving as soon as Hook hit the deck in a lifeless heap. David was skidding to a halt on his knees at the Pirate's side and as he pulled the Pirate onto his back his fingers were immediately checking his neck for a pulse, he could hear the sea witch's voice as it was finally released from the shell that had held it captive for centuries.

"Come on, come on... Hook, don't you do this to me" he grit out in a quiet voice as his fumbling fingers failed to find what he was looking for.

"Damn it" he exclaimed before digging in his jeans pocket and grabbing his swiss, he pulled it out and was immediately cutting through Hook's shirt.

He glanced up to see Emma approaching fast but she stopped in front of Ursula and David's eyes went wide as his Daughter drew back her arm and punched the Sea Witch straight in the face but he couldn't take the time to watch what was going on. He had his blade back at Hook's front tearing through the make shift bandaging, freeing his arm in seconds and tossing it to the side with no thought of the consequences. He moved quickly to Hook's right, looking at the Pirate's face briefly, his lips had turned a terrifying shade of blue and David knew he had to work quickly, there was no time for embarrassment. He grabbed Hook's head tilting it back slightly before taking hold of his nose and lowering his mouth to the Pirate's, he blew in five breaths then moved to Hook's side and immediately started compressions.

"Come on you stubborn Pirate, BREATH, don't you dare die on me"

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Emma gripped her hand to her chest convinced in that moment that she had just broken her hand on the witch's face but it was worth it. She watched as Ursula pulled herself upright and Emma readied herself for some kind of retaliation but all she got was a fearful looking witch.

"What did I do?" she cried out "Daddy, what did I do?"

Emma's arms dropped in shock, it seemed that in returning her voice they had also returned Ursula's child like innocence and the former mermaid was inconsolable at what she had done.

"It's alright Honey, I've got you" Poseidon soothed and pulled her into his arms "Daddy's got you"

Emma couldn't believe what she was seeing as Ursula fell into her Father's embrace, she watched as the woman peeked out from behind Poseidon's arm and gave a gasp, Emma followed her gaze and her world flipped as her eyes took in her own Father carrying out CPR on her Pirate.

"DAD!" she yelled and was moving in seconds

"Emma do his breathing, come on, we don't have time to waste" her Dad practically begged her.

She hit the deck next to Hook's head and when her Dad nodded she blew into Hook's mouth.

"Oh God, What did I do?" Ursula cried again

"Ursula Honey, you can still help" Poseidon said to her taking hold of both sides of her face and forcing her to look at him

"Get the ship back to town, you can do that. There are people there that can help him"

The sea witch didn't hesitate and disappeared from Emma's view, she watched as her Dad finished his round of compressions and it was again her turn to take over but just as she was about to lower her lips to Hook's he gave a gurgling cough and something wet hit Emma in the face. She jumped back as he instantly started to writhe on the deck before her, he tried to curl himself onto his side but gave another gasp and fell back against the deck. His eyes roamed aimlessly never settling on anything as they rolled about in his head.

"Swan" he croaked out before taking another gasping breath

Her Dad tried his best to keep Hook flat on the deck but she could see him struggling to control him, she looked up to meet her Dad's gaze and gave him a worried look but her worry only rose as her Dad's jaw fell open when he looked at her.

"What?!" she asked wondering what he was staring at

"You've got blood on your face Emma" he said in horror

"What? How?" the something in her brain clicked, Hook had coughed as he had come too... it was Hook's blood, oh God!

"Dad?" her voice was small, she was frightened, what did this mean?

"Hey, it's OK, look we're back at the dock, he'll be fine" he tried to sound convincing but she wasn't buying it.

She looked around her and saw that they were indeed back in town, the Jolly was moored in her usual spot and Emma could make out her Mom and a team of medics scrambling up the gang plank. Her Mom instantly engulfed a crying Henry in her arms and hid his face against her front.

"David?" she yelled in a worried voice

"No time Mary-Margaret, Whale we need to get him to hospital NOW" her Dad yelled at the Doctor as he came into view.

Emma just couldn't believe what was happening, how had things gotten so bad?

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David could see Emma losing focus, she sat back with a glazed look on her face just staring at Hook but he couldn't do anything about that now he had to fill Whale in on what was happening with the Pirate.

"I think one of his ribs has gone into his lung" David grit out as Whale dropped down onto his knees and pulled open his bag digging out his stethoscope.

He lowered the end onto Hook's chest as the Pirate tried to pull in another breath, even without any medical knowledge David could clearly see something was not right as the right side of Hook's chest moved but the left side remained still, he gurgled again before coughing loudly which again had him trying to curl in on himself.

"Hold him down" Whale directed the two EMTs that had arrived with him "I need a chest drain, he has a pneumothorax"

"What's going on?" David asked, he had no idea what the Doctor was talking about but it didn't sound good.

Whale worked quickly as he spoke.

"It seems that you're right. He has air leaking into his chest cavity, putting it simply his rib has gone into his lung so as he breaths in the air is escaping into his chest, this means that with every breath he takes the pressure in his chest builds essentially collapsing the lung bit by bit and as you can probably guess that is not good."

David watched as Whale took a small scalpel and made a cut into Hook's side, the Pirate continued to try and escape the grasp of the EMTs that were holding him down but he was too weak now and it made no difference. A second later David's attention was drawn back to Whale as he heard a hiss of air and the Doctor sighed a sigh of relief. David looked at Hook's side to see what he presumed was the end of the drain sticking out, blood bubbles popped on the end as the air hissed out. Hook obviously felt better as he physically relaxed back and managed to take in a deeper breaths but his eyes were still clamped shut and he grit his teeth together in obvious pain.

"Good, right let's get him moved" Whale yelled and the two EMT's moved as one, they had Hook on a gurney, covered in blankets and moving across the deck in a matter of minutes.

David sat on the deck as he watched them carry the Pirate away, he felt exhausted but he couldn't stop he had to make sure Emma got to the hospital, she would never forgive herself if she wasn't there and something happened to the Pirate. He pulled himself to his feet to find that his legs felt like jello, what the hell?

"David" Mary-Margaret came up to his front and threw herself and Henry into his embrace

"I'm OK" he whispered against her hair

"You are not David, you are shaking like a leaf" she cried pulling herself back "Come on, I'll drive us to the hospital. Emma has gone with Hook"

David's eyes fell to the space where his Daughter had sat moments before, how had she got up without him noticing? The world had taken on a jittery sensation and he shook his head to try and clear his vision.

"Come on David, let me help you. You've been through a lot, the shaking will go away in a minute but we need to go now." Mary-Margaret's voice sounded distant but he just nodded and let her guide him to his truck that still sat where he had left it all those days ago.

He sat inside with Henry at his side watching as the scenery whizzed by just hoping beyond all hope that the Pirate would be alright, he could pretend to everyone else that he was worried about him for Emma's sake but inside he knew that he was just plain worried, Hook may not always have been someone that he liked but now... now he was his friend and he just wanted him to to OK.

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Emma sat gripping Hook's hand tightly in her undamaged hand as they rushed through town, sirens sounding loudly, she let her broken hand rest on her knee unwilling to even think about that right now. Hook was mostly unconscious again, his breathing while better was still far from good and Whale had clamped an oxygen mask on his face the minute they'd got him in the back of the ambulance.

Hook squeezing her hand and mumbling her name had her looking up to his face. He had peaked his eyes open again but seemed to be having difficulty focusing on anything as his eyes roamed aimlessly, never settling on anything for longer than a second or two. Whale gave a concerned look before digging through his supplies again.

"Hook, I'm going to shine a light in your eyes now, it may be a bit bright, I'm sorry" the Doctor came up to the top of the gurney and stood above Hook's head. He lent over and shone the light in Hook's right eyes first. Emma had expected her Pirate to react with a wince of pain but he didn't, in fact he didn't even seem to notice as his gaze still wandered around without fixing on anything, he wore a slight frown on his face too. Whale repeated the action with his other eye with the same result and in an instant it hit Emma like a tonne of bricks, he hadn't reacted because he couldn't see the light, it was the only thing that made sense, he had been reacting badly to light for a while now, that flashlight should have had him clamping his eyes shut but it hadn't. Emma's stomach dropped and she looked to Whale as he stepped back and he met her eyes with a sad smile

"He's can't see, can he?" she almost whispered and her world narrowed when Whale gave one simple shake of his head.


	18. Chapter 18

**So it seems I may have caused a few heart attacks across the planet... sorry about that!**

 **Moving on swiftly.**

The ambulance journey was one of the worst experiences of Emma's life, things had gone from bad to worse after Whale confirmed that Hook couldn't see, he had said that it was most likely being caused by the pressure in his head pushing on the optic nerve but couldn't say if it was going to be permanent or not.

She had sat back heavily on the little bench seat that she was perched on and held her Pirate's hand but minutes later for the second time she witnessed Hook descend into convulsions in front of her but this time she knew it was nothing to do with his temperature and everything to do with his head injury.

"I'm sorry Miss Swan I need you to move... NOW" Whale yelled out the last part when she obviously didn't move quickly enough and she was practically shoved out of the way as he barged his way to Hook's side. He lowered the end of the gurney so Hook was lying flat then injected something into the Cannula that her Dad had put in two days before. Emma watched in horror as Hook jerked about on the bed in front of her but within seconds his movement began to slow and finally he lay motionless. Whale seemed frantic now as he checked the heart rate monitor that was beeping wildly next to the bed then moved quickly to checked Hook's blood pressure.

"Pressure's dropping, damnit, how far out are we?" he yelled out to the driver

"Less than two" was the muffled reply

"Right, get him ready to go, we need him in theater straight away" he motioned to the other EMT that stood by Hook's feet watching the proceedings, the man gave a knowledgeable nod and stepped forward to take over.

"Miss Swan" Whale came to her side but she was not listening properly, her eyes were too focused on her Pirate.

"Emma" the use of her first name had her pulling her gaze away and looking at Whale, he tried to give her a reassuring smile.

"We're going to be moving fast in just a second, I need you to stay back. We are taking him straight to theater. I need to see to both his chest and his head as soon as possible. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

She gave a small nod and felt a single tear trickle down her face, she made to wipe it away with her hand but winced in pain as she raised the wrong one.

"I suggest you get yourself seen to when we get inside, Hook is going to be in surgery for hours. Get someone too look at that hand and then get some rest, when was the last time you slept?

She just shrugged, she had no idea when the last time she had actually managed to sleep for more than a few minutes, the last few days had turned into a blur. The ambulance suddenly slowed then stopped, Whale moved away from her and she could finally see Hook again but he looked terrible as his chest heaved in and out. There were blood specks coating the inside of his oxygen mask too and Emma had to close her eyes against the imagine in front of her but no sooner had she closed them than they were flying back open again at Whales next sentence.

"He's in asystole, get him inside now" he yelled and the doors to the ambulance flew open and seconds later her Pirate was whisked away.

She didn't need to know the medical terms to know what Whale had meant, Hook's heart had stopped again, the single beep omitting from the monitor and the EMT thumping against his chest seconds later was enough for her to come to that conclusion all by herself.

She was left alone in the back of the ambulance as the medical team ran through the doors, she couldn't get her body to follow, her mind was numb, this couldn't be happening... God, please don't let him die.

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Mary-Margaret pulled the truck up the parking lot and gave her husband a concerned look, he had leant his head back and if it were not for his knee bouncing incessantly she might have thought that he had fallen asleep but the moment the truck came to a stop his head was up and his eyes were frantically looking around to see where they were. He met her gaze for a second and gave her a quick smile before he was unbuckling himself from his seat belt and hauled himself from the truck.

She was worried about him, he looked terrible. His eyes were bloodshot from obvious lack of sleep and he was nowhere near as fine as he was trying to convince her he was. She sighed as her eyes fell on Henry and he looked at her with such an hopeful face that her heart skipped a beat.

"He'll be fine Grandma, he's just worried about Hook."

"I know Henry, I know and I'm worried too but I'm also worried about your Mom, Grandpa and you too. You've all been through so much."

"I'm fine, honest" he gave her a smile but just then David pulled her door open to help her out, always the gentleman even at times like these.

They moved quickly towards the hospital doors and as they walked through Mary-Margaret had to blink her eyes a few times to let her vision adjust from the bright sunshine outside to the low light inside, her eyes fell quickly on Emma as she paced back and forth by the vending machines. Her daughter looked worse than David as she paced up and down, her hair was a disheveled mess and Mary-Margaret gave a small gasp as Emma turned and she could finally see her face. Emma had blood spatters across her features, Mary-Margaret's eyes went wide looking to David for answers.

"It's Hook's blood" he whispered "not that that makes it better, in fact I think that just might make it worse" he added with a sigh.

He was just about to walk over to their Daughter but Mary-Margaret put her hand out onto his arm to stop him.

"Let me go David" was all she said and he just gave her a small smile in return.

She walked slowly over to Emma, she could see the nervous energy practically jumping off of her Daughter as she marched back and forth but just as Mary-Margaret was about to speak Emma must have sensed her approaching and looked up. The moment their eyes met the tears streamed from Emma, she tried her best to keep her emotions in check as she clamped her jaw shut but her heaving chest and the tears were enough to have Mary-Margaret crying right along side her and as she stepped forward and pulled her Daughter into her arms the floodgates opened and Emma practically collapsed into her embrace pulling them both to their knees right there in the hospital corridor.

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David watched as Mary-Margaret and Emma fell to their knees a short way off, his own tears were threatening to fall now but he held them back, now was not the time. He felt useless, his own daughter was distraught and there was nothing he could do to fix this, he couldn't make it better. He felt Henry lean against him and his head instantly turned to look at his Grandson standing beside him. The boy's eyes shone with unshead tears and it was all just too much for David as he reached out his hand and pulled the Kid into a hug and held him tight to his side. He comforted Henry in his arms for a few minutes before he pulled him back to meet his gaze

"Come on, let's go sit on the couch. I don't know about you Kid but I could do with a seat."

Henry nodded and David maneuvered them to one of the large couches in the waiting area. They both flopped down on it to wait on Emma and Mary-Margaret joining them which took much longer than David had hoped, he was starting to get worried when they both suddenly appeared by his side.

Emma looked awful, her face was red and puffy but David was happy to see that Mary-Margaret had obviously helped her wash the blood off.

"Hey" he greeted immediately standing and guiding his daughter into his seat, she just slumped down, her face stoic.

David raised an eye of concern at Mary-Margaret but she just shrugged and gave a slight pull of her head, motioning for him to follow her.

"Henry, can you stay with your Mom. I'm going with Grandma to get everyone a drink, you want some soda?"

"Sure Grandpa" the kid replied but he also gave him a knowing look, yeah the boy wasn't stupid.

He just smiled at the Henry and gave his knee a slight squeeze as he pulled himself to his feet. Every bone in his body protested loudly as he straightened up, he was so tired he could probably sleep for a week but right now his baby girl needed him... sleep could wait.

He followed Mary-Margaret over to the vending machines and watched as she busily started to dispense drinks.

"What's going on?" he asked her quietly

"I don't know David, all I could get out of her was that Hook's heart had stopped again" Mary-Margaret's eyes met his again and the tears in her lashes were again all too real.

"I'm going to go and see what I can find out, get her to drink something. I'm worried about her Snow, she's barely slept or eaten in days."

"I'm worried about you too David, you look just as bad as she does"

"I'll be fine" he tried to sound convincing "I'll be back soon, I promise"

He kissed his wife on the forehead then turned and stalked off down the corridor, he needed to know what was happening. Where was the Pirate? Was he still even alive?

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Nobody could tell him anything other than Hook was still alive and that he was in surgery. He sighed heavily and leant back against the corridor wall, how could he go back to his family with nothing? He tipped his head back to look at the ceiling but as he did the room spun without warning, he must have passed out briefly because the next thing he knew he was lying on his side with a worried nurse kneeling by his side and a throbbing bump on the back of his head.

"I'm OK" he said trying to get himself up onto his feet.

"Just take a minute" she soothed "Care to tell me what happened" she took hold of his wrist and timed his pulse.

"Just too many days without sleep and too much worry. Please can you just find out what is happening with my friend? He was taken to surgery, I just need to know what is going on. His name is Killian Jones"

The nurse tipped her head in a confused look for a second and David realized his mistake.

"Captain Hook" he added with a sigh of annoyance

The nurse helped him to sit up and leant him back against the wall, she gave him a conspiratorial look and quirked an eyebrow.

"If the town Sheriff tells me he needs to know patient information who am I to refuse?" she gave him a wink "I'll be back in a minute, DO NOT MOVE"

She jumped up and disappeared behind a work station a bit further down the corridor. David brought his hand up and scrubbed his face roughly trying to wake himself up a bit as he waited on her returning. A few minutes later he saw her coming back towards him carrying an energy drink in her hand.

"Here drink this" she said with raised eyebrows, he took the drink and glugged most of it down in one go before looking back at her waiting for answers.

"Right, he is in surgery as you said, they have managed to stabilize him for the minute but he's got a long way to go. There are two teams working simultaneously, one on his head injury and the other on his chest injury then once they have finished with those they still need to fix his broken arm" she gave a sad smile

"Will he be OK?" David asked the question even though he knew she wouldn't answer it.

"I don't know, I wish I did but I just don't have that answer. You feel like trying to get up off that floor yet?"

David nodded, the energy drink had done it's job and he felt slightly better. She helped him to his feet and left him a few minutes later after making him promise to eat something and get some sleep. He slowly made his way back to the waiting room to find Belle had joined them, she sat on another couch with a sleeping Henry tucked into one side and baby Neal sleeping soundly on her other shoulder, she gave a hopeful look as he walked back into the room.

All eyes turned to him.

"He's still alive" he simply said and everyone sighed in unison before waiting for him to carry on.

"He's going to be in surgery for a long time, they have two teams working on him at the minute but they have a lot to deal with. Belle can I ask a favor?"

"Sure" the librarian answered without hesitation

"Can you take Henry and Neal? It's getting late and I want them to get a good night's sleep"

She nodded quickly "I can do that"

"I'll call you in the morning with any news" he gave her a thankful smile as she started to rouse Henry from his sleep by her side.

David turned back to Emma, she was still just sitting staring into space. He crouched down in front of her and raised his hands to her face to make her look at him. Her eyes fell on his and finally she seemed to come back to the moment.

"You OK?" he asked, yeah, stupid question

She just closed her eyes as more tears fell, he pulled her against his shoulder and she wept again. After a few minutes he managed to slide himself into the space next to her, he tucked her into his side and held her close. He could feel her hot tears as they seeped through his shirt but he didn't care, he was right where he needed to be. They stayed like that for a while and he honestly thought that she had fallen asleep. He looked at Mary-Margaret as she sat at the other end of the couch with a look of worry on her face and reached his hand out over the top of his daughter to take his wife's hand but at the movement Emma burrowed further into his side and another sob escaped her.

"Hey, it's OK" he soothed dropping his hand onto her back instead

"It's not Dad" her muffled voice sounded from his side "Even if he makes it through the surgery, he's blind Dad... he can't see" and the howling cries were back and all he could do was pull her closer.

What? Had he heard correctly? How could this be real? He knew he would just have to wait for answers, there was no way he was getting any sense out of his Daughter anytime soon. His worried face fell on Mary-Margaret's again, she held her hand up to her mouth obviously as shocked as he was.

"Nooooooo" she breathed out

They sat in silence for the longest time, waiting on news but none came. As every nurse or Doctor passed David's hope rose that they would bring some news but each time they just kept on walking and he was left disappointed.

David looked at the clock on the wall, it was a little after midnight, they had been there for hours! Emma now sat up leaning on the arm of the couch staring into nothing again and there was nothing he could do for her, God it was going to be a long night.

Eventually two hours later a nurse came up to their little group.

"Dr. Whale has sent me up to to let you know that they are just about to start on his arm. They have put metal fixing rods in three of his ribs to stabilize his chest and they have relieved the pressure in his skull by putting in a small hole just behind his right ear, don't look so worried, it's not as bad as it sounds. I'm sorry I don't have more details but Dr. Whale just wanted you to know that he was stable for now" she gave a warm smile before turning away again.

They were just starting in his arm? What? How could this be taking so long? They sat in silence again, the corridors were still with only the occasional sound as a door opened or closed but eventually at just before five Whale came out to see them. Emma was finally sleeping so David pulled himself up to meet the man, wanting to check the news before he woke his daughter, Snow was right there by his side.

"How's he doing Doc?" David asked anxiously

Whale gave a huge sigh then met his eyes "I'm not going to lie, he's got a lot going on. As you know I had to drill a hole in his skull to relieve the pressure build up inside, I have fitted a drain which will remain in place for at least a few days but we need to be careful. As you can probably guess anything going inside the head is a dangerous thing, we will need to be extra cautious and look out for signs of infection. He has had a further two seizures since the one in the ambulance and we are not sure what, if any effect they will have on him in the long term. Hopefully now that the pressure build up is gone the seizures will stop too but there is no guarantee"

"His eyesight?" David asked in concern

"That we will just need to monitor too but I am hopeful that this will rectify itself soon"

"And his chest?" David needed to know everything

"We had to put metal fixer bars on three broken ribs, he had what we call a "Flail Chest" where part of the rib cage separates from the rest, it is very serious of left untreated. The best treatment is the fixers and for him to be ventilated. The pressure from the ventilator will help to keep his damaged lung inflated, it generally leads to a much quicker recovery time too and being honest he was struggling to breath for himself anyway so it really was the best course of action."

What? The Pirate couldn't even breath for himself right now? Could things get any worse?

"And finally we have inserted internal and external metal work to his left forearm, it looked a bit touch and go there for a while as to whether we would be able to save the arm below the elbow with the amount of bone damage but I think we have managed it, we'll again just need to keep an eye on it over the next few days"

David couldn't believe what he was hearing, they had nearly taken more of his arm off? His mind was reeling as he finally turned back to his Daughter. Leaving Whale still talking to Mary-Margaret he could hear her thanking him and he supposed he should really have done that too but he was much too distracted by the fact that he was about to give Emma some not so hopeful news. He reached forward and gave her a shake.

"Emma, come on, wake up, Hook is out of surgery" he was sure that would do the trick but his brow furrowed when she didn't stir.

He shook her more firmly but still nothing, his panic built quickly and he was practically pulling her from the couch into his arms in the next moment but she just hung limply in his embrace like a rag doll in a child's arms.

"EMMA" he yelled out in a blind panic "EMMA, WAKE UP!"

 **Before you all start complaining about Emma being hurt too and that you don't like it taking away Hook's limelight just calm yourselves down and breathe, it is only a VERY brief set back, she will be back by Hook's side in no time but I do like a bit of Captain Charming so she had to be side lined for a while... sorry but not sorry!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Really early update for you guys today as I am going to the cinema tonight to see James Bond and didn't want to leave you with nothing.**

 **Very little Emma just lots of Captain Charming... enjoy :D**

How could this be happening? David sat on a very hard plastic chair with his wife by his side and his only Daughter in a hospital bed not three feet away. "Exhaustion" was what Whale had said and David could understand that, he felt it too but he couldn't afford to let it overtake him right now, his family needed him so he lifted another energy drink to his lips and pulled in a huge mouthful before swallowing it down, yeah, he was practically running on caffeine right now.

"Here, eat this" Whale said to him handing him a sandwich that he had obviously grabbed from somewhere as he came back into Emma's room "I do not need you passing out on me too"

David just took it from the man, he really didn't feel hungry but her knew that Whale was right, He hadn't eaten properly in days, he'd had other things to focus on. He pulled the cellophane back and started to eat as he watched the Doctor check Emma's vital signs.

"How is she?" Mary-Margaret asked in a worried voice

"I've given her a mild sedative... she is fine Mary-Margaret, she is just sleeping. I have started her on an IV line too as you can see, she was quite dehydrated but that is a short term thing. She will need an X-ray on that hand and I suspect she will need a cast on it as it looks broken to me but she will be out of here tomorrow all being well." he gave a reassuring smile

"And Hook?" Mary-Margaret asked more cautiously

"I am just about to go and check on him now, he has been settled into a room up in the ICU. He'll probably sleep for a good few hours due to the effects of the anesthetic but after that we will not be giving him any form of sedation. With head injuries it is always best for the patient to be conscious. We are hoping that he will be awake before the day is over but that is still not a certainty. Head injuries are a very tricky thing with so many variations of symptoms that it is very hard to predict the outcome of any scenario, he may wake like we hope or he may not we will just have to wait and see."

"You're going there now?" David asked sitting up a little

"Yes, I need to do his post operative checks" Whale replied

"I'm coming too" David left no room for argument but Whale tried anyway

"I'm sorry David but he is in no fit state for visitors at the moment" he apologized while wearing his most sympathetic look but David didn't care.

"Well that's just too bad because I'm coming unless you want to have security physically remove me from the hospital. Come on Doc, I can't leave him by himself. If he wakes up and there's no one there he will just cause you trouble and you know it"

Whale furrowed his brow, he obviously knew that David was right but didn't really want to admit it. He finally raised his gaze to meet David's and spoke.

"Fine BUT if anything happens I need you to leave right away, there is no room for error right now and we would need to work quickly WITHOUT interruption"

Whale had meant what he said too but David could live with those terms if it meant that he would be there, he needed to do this, not just for himself but for Emma too. She was going to go mad when she woke to be told that she was not going anywhere until she got the all clear so at least if he was with her Pirate he could keep her up to date with his condition.

"Deal" David exclaimed jumping to his feet, it seemed like the food and drink had brought back his flagging energy levels

"David, call me when you see him, I need to know that he's OK" Mary-Margaret's small voice sounded beside him

"I will" he leaned over and kissed his wife before turning to look at Emma in the bed "To be honest I think you've got the harder job right here. Trying to keep her in that bed once she wakes up is going to be... shall we say, a challenge!"

"Yeah well, she'll just need to listen to her Mother for a change" Mary-Margaret looked determined as she looked at Emma too "Speak soon?"

"You can count on it" David replied giving her shoulder a loving squeeze

David followed Whale in silence, the two men really had nothing in common... well apart from the obvious but THAT was not up for discussion! They made their way through the corridors, it was still quite quiet and David looked at his watch, nearly eight am, this had been the longest night of his life. He was too busy thinking to notice that Whale had come to a stop until it was too late and he barreled into the Doctor's back.

"Sorry" he mumbled "Tired" he added as an explanation

"Yes, well maybe you can get some sleep soon and save us all from another day of picking you up off the floor. Yes, I know about your little episode last night. You really need to rest, you know?" Whale even managed to sound concerned as he stood looking at David

"I will but I need to see him first" David nodded at the door in front of him

"Very well" Whale said with a curt nod before pushing the door open and stepping through.

The room was small and dimly lit but there was no hiding the reason that it was set up this way, this room was set up for one purpose only and that was to keep someone alive. There were so many machines, tubes and wires David didn't know where to look first but his gaze fell on the Pirates face. He looked terrible, David tried to take it all in but there was so much going on, the most obvious thing being the large blue tube that snaked it's way down Hook's throat and into his lungs but strangely enough this was not what bothered David the most. There was tape holding the Pirate's eyelids closed and David didn't like it one bit, it made him look like he was dead and he gave a shudder as the image sealed itself in his brain forever.

Whale moved to Hook's side and immediately started checking all the machines, jotting notes down on the chart at the end of the bed but David couldn't drag his eyes away from Hook's eyes, he was transfixed.

"I'll remove the tape in a minute" Whale said loudly "Would you sit down before you fall over, you look like you've seen a ghost"

David gave a cough of embarrassment, he hadn't realized that he was being so obvious with his feelings. He moved to sit, there was a chair in the corner which he grabbed and placed down on Hook's left hand side before practically falling into it seconds later. From his new vantage point he could see everything Whale was doing, he gently pulled the blankets back to reveal a very large white dressing that ran up the Pirate's sternum, they had had to open him right up? David hadn't really thought about how they had fixed the ribs, perhaps he had been thinking that they could have used keyhole surgery but from the size of the dressing that was not what had happened. Whale seemed happy for the moment that there was no bleeding from the wound as he jotted something else on the chart before pulling the blanket back up and moving to Hook's head.

David gasped as he realized that they had shaved most of the right side of the Pirate's head when Whale pulled the mass of bandaging back to reveal a small drain that was taped behind Hook's ear, his eyes followed the tube and he could only presume that it was attached to a bag of some sort as it disappeared from view. In his head he suddenly remembered the drain that Whale had placed in Hook's side while they were still on the Jolly Roger and his eyes leapt back to his side of the bed to see a bag hanging by the pirates waist with bloody fluid in it, yeah, that drain was still there too.

Lastly Whale came around to Hook's left and David stood up to get out of his way, he trailed the chair around to the other side of the bed and plonked himself back down as he watched the Doctor inspect the Pirate's damaged left arm. David hadn't noticed until now that Hook's arm was hoisted up into a high sling nearly level with his head, must be to keep the swelling down.

"How's his shoulder?" the thought escaped his mouth without him realizing until Whale answered

"Good, you did a good job there, it will be sore for a while but right now I need to elevate his arm more than he needs to rest his shoulder."

David could clearly make out bloody marks on the bandaging around Hook's stumped arm, yeah they'd had to cut him open there too. He pulled in a deep breath and sighed loudly as Whale tucked Hook's arm back into the sling, the Doctor then leant over and carefully tugged the surgical tape from both Hook's eyes and stepped back from the bed.

"He's not going to be awake for at least a few hours, probably not really until late afternoon. Why don't you go home and get some sleep? Come back later" he didn't have much conviction in his words probably knowing that he was about to be shot down in flames.

"Sorry Doc, not going to happen" David replied with a shake of his head

"Didn't think so. Look, I know that chair is NOT comfortable but there are some pillows and blankets in that cupboard by the door, why don't you at least see if you can grab a couple of hours?"

David just nodded his head "Thanks"

The Doctor made one last note on Hook's chart then gave him a quick smile before heading out the door leaving David alone in the room with the Pirate. David didn't know where to look, everywhere his eyes settled brought more thoughts of pain and worry. Eventually he pulled out his cell and called Mary-Margaret, she always knew how to make him feel better. The conversation was brief, literally just filling his wife in on what he knew and finding out that there had been no change in Emma before disconnecting the call.

The chair was anything but comfortable so David shoved it to the side, he went to the small cupboard in the corner of the room and pulled out a pillow and two blue hospital blankets. He walked back to the Pirate's bedside and unfolded one of the blankets half way before laying it down on the ground. He threw the pillow towards the top end of his make shift bed then lowered himself down onto his back and settled the other blanket across his front. Living in the enchanted forest he had slept in much worse conditions than this but in recent years he had slept more time in a plushy bed than he had ever slept on the ground under the starts but right now he could probably have settled down on a bed of hot coals and still fallen asleep and that was his last thought as he closed his eyes and left the world behind him.

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He awoke slowly some time later to find a nurse working around his sleeping form.

"Sorry" he grit out while trying to haul himself out of the way

"You're alright, don't worry. I'm almost done" she answered with a sweet smile.

But David was awake now and he pulled himself to his feet and stretched out his back against the crick that had taken up residence there. He looked at the clock and was surprised to see that it was nearly four in the afternoon, he had slept for nearly seven hours! His gaze moved back to the bed then up to the nurse who had moved around to check on Hook's arm.

"How's he doing?" he asked in a sleepy voice trying to hold in a yawn.

"He's pretty much the same" she gave a sad smile this time and he couldn't help but be disappointed that the news wasn't better.

He quickly lifted his bedding from the floor and threw it to one side so that it wasn't in the way.

"Are you going to be here for a few more minutes?" he asked the nurse hopefully

"Sure, I can be" she replied

"Good, I gotta you know... uhm I'll be back in a minute" he added getting a bit flustered before heading towards the bathroom, God he was an idiot, why did he have to tell a stranger that he needed to pee?

He returned a few minutes later to find the nurse just finishing off, she gave him a little giggle as she walked past to leave and his face flamed red once more, yep, idiot!

He sat back down on his chair and looked at the Pirate in the bed again, there was nothing else to look at and his brain just kept pulling his eyes to the man's face hoping to see some kind of movement, anything to show that the Pirate was still in their somewhere.

He lent back and tipped his head up to stare at the ceiling but a rustling sound on the bed followed by the alarms suddenly sounding on one of the many machines around them had him on his feet and at Hook's side in seconds.

The Pirate was trying to pull his breathing tube out! David grabbed his hand quickly, holding it tightly. Hook was still too weak to do anything other than just let him but David could see the panic in the Pirate's face. Hook was obviously trying to breath against the ventilator as a horrendous sucking noise kept coming form his throat and his eyes kept going wide and then screwing shut. David realized in an instant that he still couldn't see, no wonder he was freaking out, he couldn't see anything, he had no clue where he was or what was going on.

"Hey it's me" David said loudly causing Hook to jump slightly at the noise but then the Pirate gripped his hand tighter, yeah, the fearsome Captain Hook was frightened but David couldn't blame him, he was frightened too and it wasn't happening to him.

"It's OK, don't fight the machine, it is breathing for you right now, let it. Come on relax, you'll get a breath in a second just don't fight it" David tried his best to get Hook to calm down.

At that point Whale and a nurse burst into the room obviously alerted to the goings on from his heart rate monitor going wild.

"Hook, it's Doctor Whale, I need you to calm your breathing down. You are in the hospital now and we are trying to help you. You have a chest injury and you are too weak to breath for yourself right now so we have a machine here that can do it for you but you need to stop fighting it. Just relax and it will breathe for you, come on, that's it, relax"

David felt Hook trying to relax back onto the bed, he was shaking now with an obvious adrenalin kick but he seemed to be able to understand what Whale was saying, that was good, right? After another couple of failed breaths Hook finally relaxed enough to allow the machine to do it's job and eventually he was settled back on the bed again. He had a sheen of sweat across his features and looked beyond tired but his eyes still kept roaming the room and he wore a confused expression on his face.

"Hook, you also hit your head, do you remember?" Whale asked

David wasn't sure how the Pirate was supposed to answer but his expression said it all, he remembered just fine.

"You will remember that the pain in your head felt like there was a lot of pressure pushing behind your ear. Well we have relieved that by putting a small hole through your skull and placing a tube in there. You need to be very careful, do not touch it and try not to move your head about too much. It will take a few days for the swelling inside your head to go down and we are hopeful that when it does your eyesight will return"

David watched as the Pirate physically relaxed at this news, his eyes slid shut and his iron tight grip on David's hand relaxed a bit. Whale and the nurse seemed satisfied with his progress and left a couple of minutes later after once again making some notes on Hook's chart.

David had thought that Hook had fallen asleep again until he tried to step back to grab his chair that had gotten shoved back in all the chaos, he tried to let go of the pirate's hand but as soon as his fingers started to loosen Hook's arm lurched forward and grabbed him tightly by the wrist. David looked at the Pirate's face to see only a look of fear across his features.

"Hey, it's OK. I'm not going anywhere. I just need to get my chair" David soothed

Hook's hand hesitated for a second before his grasp loosened enough for David to free himself, he moved quickly grabbing the chair and sitting back down in just a few seconds but in that short time he could hear by the heart monitor that Hook was freaking out again and when he took hold of the Pirate's hand once again he could feel Hook's pulse racing beneath his fingers.

"It's OK, I'm not going anywhere. It's alright"

But the Pirate just frowned deeper and his feet started moving on the bed like he wanted to get up. David was quick to put him in his place, what was he thinking? He couldn't get out of bed in his state.

David felt Hook's grip pull away for a second before a single finger fell onto the palm of his hand, what was he doing? The Pirate slowly moved his finger in very deliberate movements and to David's utter amazement he started to spell out something, straight away his previous questions about the Pirate's failed escape from his bed were answered.

S...W...A...N

He wanted Emma, of course he would want to know where she was, why hadn't he told him already?

"She's fine Hook, she's just sleeping right now, Mary-Margaret is with her. She will be here soon I promise"

Hook relaxed back on his pillows and his hand clutched back onto David's but this would never be spoken of again, right now the fearsome Pirate was gone and only a frightened man remained. Hook had little knowledge of this world's medical techniques and this must be terrifying for him, who was David to judge? Hell he'd want a familiar hand to hold on too if it were him in that bed.

David watched as Hook's blinks got longer and longer until eventually his eyes remained closed and he had fallen back into sleep again. He managed to extract his hand from the bed and rummaged in his pocket, he needed to call Mary-Margaret and keep her up to date, he was also pretty sure that Emma would be climbing the walls by now waiting on news too.

As his call connected he really shouldn't have been surprised when it was Emma's voice and not Snow's that bellowed down the line. He needed to get these two back in the same room ASAP before either one did themselves damage trying to get to each other.


	20. Chapter 20

Emma sat on the edge of her bed, God, what was taking so long? She had been told an hour before that someone would be along to put her broken hand in a cast but clearly that had not happened. She looked at the clock on the wall for what seemed like the millionth time.

"Ugh... what the hell?" she blurted out "Are they trying to piss me off"

"Emma, calm down" Mary-Margaret said in a soft voice

"Are you kidding me? Calm down? I've had enough of this, they can find me in Hook's room. Where is he? Tell me his room number."

She watched as her Mom rolled a thought around in her mind then looked her straight in the eye and down right lied.

"I don't know. Your Father never told me"

"Mom you know you are the worst liar ever, even without my superpower I could spot one of yours a mile off"

"OK, I lied but I'm sorry Emma I'm not telling you where he is until your hand is fixed and Whale says you can leave."

Emma practically growled in frustration but threw herself back on to the mattress instead, wincing loudly when it jostled her arm.

"I know you want to go to Hook, I get it, really I do but your Dad is there. Hook's not alone and besides your Dad said he's sleeping right now"

"I know Mom but I just need to see him, I can't get that last image of him out of my head, he wasn't breathing Mom, he was gone..." she trailed off as fresh tears threatened to fall.

Mary-Margaret didn't say anything she just pulled herself up next to Emma and lay down by her side. They lay in silence for a long time but eventually someone came through the doors and Emma was sitting up in seconds.

The nurse put the cast on her arm and gave her care instructions before leaving, now they just had to wait on Whale! Time seemed to be dragging, her Mom had fallen asleep on her chair and was snoring lightly. Emma would have snuck out the door but she had no clue where to go to find her Pirate so she sat staring at the clock instead. The hand ticked from eight fourteen to eight fifteen and an idea popped into Emma's head. She lent over as far as possible and slammed her hand onto the emergency call button on the wall and waited.

A few seconds later Whale barged through the door and her Mom practically hit the roof as she was yanked from sleep at the noise.

"What's going on? What's the emergency?" the Doctor asked in concern

"I am going to die of boredom, that's the emergency" Emma grit out

"Miss Swan, those buttons are not toys, do not use them unless you need to" Whale admonished

"Sorry." Emma said with a fake smile before adding "Well now you are here you can sign my release papers, that way I'll be out of your hair"

Whale narrowed his eyes at her, she knew that he was not happy but she didn't care, she needed to see Hook.

"Fine." was all he said as he moved to her chart at the end of the bed and picked it up then walked to the door "I'll be back in five minutes then you'll be free to leave"

True to his words five minutes later he walked back through the door... backwards pulling a wheelchair through with him.

"Here you go Miss Swan, you are free to leave... as long as you allow your Mother to push you in this. Hook's room is quite a distance and I am not happy that you would manage by yourself"

Whale gave her a very smug look and Emma could have punched the man but she already had one broken hand from doing that very thing so chose to go for a verbal attack instead.

"You have got to be kidding me. I am not, I repeat, I am NOT getting in that thing. You think you're smart don't you?"

"No smarter than say... hmmmm... let me think. Oh I don't know, say someone using an emergency call button to summon a REALLY busy Doctor because they think that they are more important than other sick people that need said Doctor's attention more than them right now"

All Emma's fight left her, he was right, she was selfish. He was trying to do his job and she was just making it harder.

"Alright point made. I'm sorry, I was so wrapped up in my own issues that I didn't think about you trying to juggle like a million patients. I am sorry, really"

"It's alright Miss Swan, I know that you are keen to go and see Hook, just be more thoughtful in future" he said while walking to the door but as he took hold of the handle he turned back to her and said.

"I wasn't kidding about the chair, you don't use it, you don't leave and I know your Mother will back me up on that fact. Have a nice night." he gave a grin then finally left the room.

Emma's jaw just hung open, that man was unbelievable!

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David still sat by the sleeping Pirate's bedside. The second time Hook had woken up was pretty much a repeat of the first with his hand instantly reaching to pull the tube from his throat but he calmed quickly once David spoke to him, he obviously remembered their last conversation as he accepted what was said after his initial reaction without much fuss . He had again asked for Emma and David had reassured him that she would be here soon but that had been over an hour ago and she was still not there, where the hell were they?

The Pirate stirred on the bed and David moved forward to grab his hand if he needed to but Hook surprised him, instead of reaching for his mouth he reached out to the side obviously searching for David's hand and David was quick to take it. He watched as Hook's eyes again opened and drifted around the room, it was quite hard to watch knowing that all he was seeing was total darkness but the Pirate spelling a word on his hand again pulled him from his musings. He sighed loudly, he'd already known what the Pirate was going to ask before he started.

"She's not here yet. I know I keep telling you she'll be here soon but she will, I promise"

David was shocked as Hook seemed to roll his eyes at him, surely he was mistaken?! It must have just been the way that he had moved his eyes but David didn't get time to ponder over it, Hook was spelling again and this time he was asking for Henry.

"He's fine Hook, don't worry, he's not away sailing your ship off in to the distance just yet" David answered with a chuckle and God Dammit if the Pirate didn't quirk the right hand side of his face into a lopsided smile all of his own.

David's heart skipped a beat as he watched the Pirate and an idea struck him.

"He did say that if you weren't up to it soon that he'd be happy to let me teach him how to sail, I mean, how hard can it be right? I'm sure Belle could find me a book on it, I could pick it up in no time" he said, his voice full of mirth.

Hook obviously knew he was teasing and David waited on the snarky reply, the Pirate did not disappoint him although it took much longer than normal.

"Not bloody likely Mate" he said aloud as Hook finished and he laughed as the Pirate quirked an eyebrow at him

He was just about to give another witty retort when the door opened and Mary-Margaret backed in pulling Emma in a wheelchair after her. He jumped up letting Hook's hand go but the Pirate obviously didn't know what was happening and gripped onto his shirt front instead, furrowing his brow deeply and wearing a look of confusion on his face.

"It's Emma" David said as way of an explanation and Hook's hand instantly let go, he held it out expectantly, waiting for Emma to take it in her grasp.

Mary-Margaret swung the chair around and Emma gasped out at the sight of her Pirate in front of her, she was out of the chair and taking hold of Hook's hand in seconds, it was awkward as she had to use her left, her right one was currently strapped up in a sling across her front and would remain so for a few days yet.

"Hook!" she called out

Hook held her hand in a vice like grip and David watched as the man who had been joking with him seconds before fought back tears as his Daughter wept openly before him.

David stepped up behind Emma and wrapped his arms around her middle, hugging her to his front and they were joined seconds later by Mary-Margaret as she tucked herself in on David's right.

"Hook was just telling me that he was happy for me to teach Henry to sail while he's out of commission" David added with a chuckle, he needed to change the atmosphere in the room.

"What?" Emma asked in surprise "How?"

"Just wait" he said as he watched Hook position Emma's hand so that he could talk to her

He waited as the Pirate took his time writing each letter then Emma gave a laugh and stepped out of David's embrace to face him.

"He says that I am to arrest you if so much as step on his ship when he is not there and as Sheriff I'm afraid can't ignore the law so be warned and besides I would NEVER let you teach Henry how to sail the Jolly, I've seen how you taught him to sword fight!"

"Hey, can I help it if the kid's more academically minded?" David griped, what the hell happened? He had had the upper hand, now there was two against one.

"I don't know David, he seemed to pick up archery pretty quickly" Mary-Margaret added

"Traitor" he whispered against her neck with a chuckle as they stood by the Pirate's bedside.

Hook had only just woken up but like the other two times he faded quickly and in minutes he was sleeping again. Emma sat heavily on David's vacated chair and he crouched at her side as he disentangled himself from Mary-Margaret's arms.

"Hey, he'll be fine. Emma this could have been so much worse. He knows who we all are, he remembers who he is, those are the important things, those are the things that make him who he is. All the other stuff can be worked with. Whale says that the drain in his head will be out in a few days and he'll be on the ventilator for about a week. Wait and see what happens Emma, don't lose hope that everything will be OK in the end."

Her eyes shone with tears again but she pulled in a deep breath and seemed to shake herself off.

"I won't Dad, you're right, I need to be strong for him right now. Mom spoke to Regina earlier and she says that Gold and the others think that Ursula has betrayed them and that their plans have been delayed. I'm not sure if what Poseidon told me is true but right now I don't care, I can't think about that, I need to concentrate on Hook."

"What happened to Ursula?" David asked after realizing that they had left in a hurry when they got back to town

"August called, he said that Ursula left with Poseidon but before they went Poseidon had said that if we ever needed his help just to use the conch shell to call him and he would do his best to reach us. He said to thank Hook for returning Ursula's voice to her and that he would be eternally grateful to him, he was just sorry that he couldn't tell him himself. So it seems like Hook finally brought back Ursula's happy ending after all. I just wish it hadn't cost him so much"

David watched as Emma gave a sad smile then leant forward to brush the hair from Hook's forehead being careful of the padding and the large bruise that had bloomed it's way across most of the right side of his face. God he hoped that he was right and that the Pirate would get his sight back, if he didn't they'd deal with it of course but he could hope so that's what he was going to do.

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Killian awoke some time later remembering quickly not to pull the thing in his mouth, it was hard to ignore but the fact that Whale had said it was breathing for him was enough to make him leave it alone.

The room was quiet, he couldn't hear anything other than the beeping noises that had been there the last few times he had woken up but he was in pain again, it seemed to come and go getting better after Whale's visits then slowly returning over the next few hours until the Doctor visited again, he assumed from the level of pain that he was currently in that Whale would be round soon, or he hoped so anyway.

He reached his hand out to his right searching for David, he knew it was stupid and that the Prince would probably hold it over him for years to come but feeling him there by his side was a comfort, his world was just darkness and pain at the moment so he'd take anything to make it feel even just a tiny bit better.

His hand remained suspended in the air, David hadn't taken it! Where was he? His panic started to rise and as if on cue one of the contraptions in he room started beeping. Damn it, why was he panicking so much, it's not like he'd never lain in a dark room by himself before. He forced himself to calm, clenching his fist into the bedding that he lay on, screwing his eyes shut in concentration and finally it worked, after a few minutes his heart slowed and he managed to open his eyes again.

He unclenched his fist and rubbed his sweaty hand on the blanket but with that movement he felt something strange against his hand. He took it in his fingers rolling it slightly. Hair! It was someone's hair, long hair... EMMA!

How could he have forgotten, she had come into his room when he was last awake. She must have been leaning on the side of his bed asleep. His fingers followed the hair and his logic was sound, Emma lay resting on her left arm near his legs, he could just about reach her head if he stretched but it pulled awkwardly on his sore chest. Talking about sore chests, what had they done to him? He could still feel the pain that he had been experiencing from his damaged ribs on his left hand side except now the pain was much greater than it had ever been aboard the Jolly Roger. Something was different though, now he also had a searing pain that seemed to run straight down his front. He lifted his hand away from Emma's hair and brought it up on top of his blankets, working it across his front until his fingers fell on something soft. He couldn't make out what it was but it was sticky around the edges when he pulled at it and he figured that it was covering up a wound below. He didn't remember being wounded there! What was going on?

He let his arm fall back to his side in frustration, he needed to see, he needed to be able to ask someone what the hell was happening but most of all he just needed to be able to look upon his Swan's face and tell her he loved her and see her smile at him one more time.

The pain was building again and with every mechanical breath it got worse and worse but there was nothing he could do so he just lay as still as he could, trying in vain to make it stop. Was this his life now? A poor blind Pirate with only one hand? Gods, he hoped not. An image of him and Emma on the Jolly Roger popped into his head. No, he refused to accept that this was it for him, he had a life to lead and a beautiful woman that was willing to accept him for who he was and fight by his side waiting for him to get better. He was on the side of good now, Emma had called him a hero! Good things happen to good people, that's what they say.

Killian just hoped that he'd done enough good to cancel out the bad...

The pain was on the point of being unbearable when he heard a noise by his side, Emma was moving, was she awake? He reached out his hand again and was relieved when she took it and spoke.

"Hey you, why didn't you wake me?"

She needed her sleep, he knew that. David had told him that she had collapsed from exhaustion and he felt guilty about it, she had done that to herself looking after him, so he lied.

"Just woke up too" Emma spoke slowly as he wrote.

"How are you feeling?"

Awful, beyond tired and in so much pain that I could scream if it were not for this damned tube was what flew through is mind but instead he wrote.

"Better"

"Good, we'll have you well in no time" She sounded like she was smiling and he tried to smile back but the pain was getting too much and it turned into a wince.

"Are you in Pain?"

He didn't want to worry her.

"I am fine Love" he wrote but she wasn't fooled

"I don't believe you, you are sweating Hook. How long have you been lying there like that? You should have woken me"

Emma sounded angry but he was starting to lose focus now, the pain was all consuming. He heard her call his name another few times and took his hand in hers but he couldn't concentrate on anything now. The beeping noise started again but he already knew that his heart was racing, he could feel it in his chest and with each beat it sent pulses of agony everywhere.

He thought he heard Whales voice but the beating of his heart was so loud in his ears now that he wasn't sure but it must have been him as seconds later the pain started to leave him, the relief was almost instantaneous but instead of talking to his Swan his eyes slid shut, he had no control over them anymore it would seem, he could feel sleep roaring in on him and he let it take him knowing that Emma would still be by his side when he woke again.


	21. Chapter 21

**Poor Hook, he really can't catch a break can he?**

 **Oh well, I know that's how you guys like it lol**

 **Let's carry on shall we?**

Whale moved quickly around the bed, he had injected something into Hook's arm and it seemed to be working as the Pirate finally relaxed back on his pillows. He had been in so much pain it had been really hard to watch and there was still a sheen of sweat across his face but that's not what was worrying Emma right now, she couldn't look away as Whale pulled the bandaging back from the side of Hook's head and gave a hiss of concern.

"What?" she asked urgently

"Looks like the wound is infected, that's what's causing his temperature. No wonder he was in pain. As I said before it's a balancing act of allowing the drain to do it's job and not letting an in infection, I'm going to need to flush this out and start him on a more aggressive antibiotic. I had hoped that the one that we had him on would have been enough but it seems not. Hang tight, I'll be right back, I'm going to need help"

He practically ran from the room and Emma's eyes fell back on Hook's face. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes moved frantically beneath their lids, he was obviously not as asleep as she had thought he was. He looked terrible, how had this happened so quickly? Her eyes wandered back to the side of his head and she got her answer, yeah he had a hole in his skull that's how.

Whale returned minutes later with a nurse in tow, Emma stepped back to give them room to work plus she really didn't want to look. She glanced up at the clock, it was not long after one am, her Mom and Dad had finally left at ten and she was glad. Not that they had left her but that her Dad was finally going to get some sleep, he looked so tired, he had insisted that he was fine but Emma wasn't having it.

The sound of a machine starting followed by the noise of fluid being suctioned made Emma feel slightly nauseous, God, they were sucking fluid from inside his Hook's head, could this get any worse?

After the longest ten minutes of Emma's life they finally finished up, she walked back across to the bedside and took up Hook's hand. She looked at Whale as he pulled his rubber gloves from his hands and tossed them in the trash.

"We'll need to keep a close eye on him Miss Swan, I am going to get a team in to help me move his position slightly so that the fluid in his head drains better, now as you know he also has a drain in his side but at the moment his head is taking priority."

Emma was shocked, they were having to chose between injuries and prioritize which one was more likely to kill him if not dealt with?!

She stood back again as more nurses arrived, they pulled the blankets back and Emma struggled to keep looking. Hook's chest was a mass of bruising and the long white dressing that ran straight up his front caused her own chest to hitch and a sob escape her mouth. She had only seen his face until now and that was bad enough but this, this was too much. She couldn't take it it. Whale took the Pirate's left arm down from the high sling and gently brought it across his front before they all grabbed a body part and lifted as one. They tipped him slightly, moving him more into his right with pillows jammed at his back to stop him tipping back. Whale moved back to Hook's head to check the wound, he had lain an absorbent pad on Hook's pillow and now that he was tilted Emma could see why as the Doctor removed the thicker padding from the Pirate's head and replaced it with a thinner one held simply with tape.

"This will help, I know it's not pleasant to look at but we need to stop this thing now before it takes hold" Whale met her eyes and gave her a smile.

She tried to smile back but it was too hard, this was all just too much and the worst thing was that she had nobody to vent her anger at, yes it was Ursula that had caused this but she was different now, she was no longer the horrible sea witch that she had been and that was down to Hook. If she hadn't changed Emma was sure she would have done a whole lot more than punch her in the face but she had and it left no one to blame.

Twenty minutes later Emma sat by herself again with her Pirate sleeping in front of her, she looked at the heart rate monitor to check Hook's temperature again and noted that it was sitting at 103.

She tried to get comfortable again, Whale had warned her that if she didn't get some sleep he would ban her from staying through the night but how was she supposed to sleep with all this going on? She pulled the chair closer to the bed and took up her previous position with her left arm tucked under her head facing away from Hook's still very flushed face and finally she let the tears fall. The bed juddered as she sobbed onto the blankets, she just wanted a hug right now and as if the Gods were smiling down on her Hook's hand came up over her shoulder and settled on the back of her neck. She stilled instantly as his thumb rubbed soothing circles at her hairline.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." she whispered "Go back to sleep"

He gave her neck another light squeeze before his hand stilled but he left it where it was, this was better than any hug she had hoped for, this was enough right now and Emma closed her eyes. She sighed deeply and snuggled herself down into his bedding, she just hoped that tomorrow brought better news.

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David walked back into the Pirate's room the next morning, he knew that it was way too early, he had woken just after five and couldn't get back to sleep so he had pulled himself from his bedding, left Mary-Margaret a note and headed here where he found Emma laying awkwardly on the edge of Hook's bed. David's eyes moved up to the Pirate himself and he was surprised to see that they had moved him. He noticed that they had also removed a lot of the bandaging from around his head and David could clearly see a bloody stain on the pad that was on the Pirate's pillow. What had happened? He wanted to ask Emma but didn't want to wake her so he crept over to the end of the bed and picked up Hook's chart to read for himself what was going on.

"The Patient took a turn for the worse at about one in the morning, he had developed a temperature of 103 and had shown signs of discomfort, upon investigation it was found that his head wound had become infected this was consequently suctioned and flushed."

That would explain the whole "bloody pillow", David continued to read.

"It was decided to lie the patient on his right hand side to allow better drainage, this will be looked at again in twelve hours as it may be detrimental to the chest drain."

They had switched his antibiotic to another unpronounceable one too which would be more aggressive towards the infection. Great, this was the last thing that they needed.

David slotted the chart back into it's holder and quietly walked around Emma up to the top of the bed, he noticed Hook's hand resting on Emma neck and he gave a smile, even when he must be feeling like hell he still tried to bring her comfort. His eyes moved to Hook's face and he wasn't surprised when he saw him looking very flushed and sweaty. David flicked his eyes up to the heart rate monitor and noted that Hook's temperature was still sat at 103, no wonder he was sweating.

He made a decision and quickly walked over to the small cabinet that he had got his bedding from the day before and pulled the door open. He grabbed two of the wash cloths that he had seen previously and headed into the bathroom. He rinsed them under the cold water for a few minutes, rung them out then headed back into the other room. He placed one on the side of Hook's neck and used the other one to slowly wipe his face first then down his front being careful of all the tubes, wires and wounds.

Hook gave a shiver at the motion and David looked at his face to see him blink his eyes open. He frowned slightly and his hand tried to come up to his mouth but David put a stop to that.

"Leave it alone, you have enough going on without pulling that thing out"

Hook's hand froze instantly, he furrowed his brow further, a look of total confusion across his features. David took Hook's hand in his and waited on him writing his obvious question but it seemed that he was just too out of it as his eyes slid shut again and he fell back into sleep.

David sighed, it was going to be a long day.

Whale came in about an hour later and gave a startled look at David.

"You're keen" he simply stated.

"Yeah well, I slept most of yesterday so guess who woke up at silly o'clock?" he gave a shrug and moved out of the way, he had grabbed another chair from the corridor and had been sitting by Emma's side.

"She doesn't look comfortable" Whale noted as he walked past Emma "I'll see if I can arrange for a better chair to be brought in, I'm just glad that's she's getting any sleep at all after the incident last night . I had to threaten her. I told her that I would ban her from this room after dark if she didn't get some sleep, seems like my threat worked."

Whale must have assumed that Emma had called him to fill him in about last night and he wasn't about to admit to reading the Pirate's chart so he just nodded.

"Me too, I'm still worried about her Doc"

"I can only imagine, well if I can help with the chair I will"

"Thanks"

"Now let's see how our patient is doing" Whale seemed to pause for a second as he took note of the now warming wash cloth.

"Sorry, that was me, I just thought that maybe I could, you know, cool him down a bit" David got quite flustered and didn't even know why.

"It's a good idea" Whale raised an eyebrow "He's lucky to have people that care"

Whale went back to checking the Pirate and David watched as he slowly moved Hook's head so that he could look at the drainage point.

"This looks much better, we'll get him moved onto his back again shortly" he mused before pulling back the blankets to check on his chest drain.

He seemed happy enough with that too then to David's horror he pulled back the dressing that covered most of the Pirate's front to reveal a huge ugly stitched wound that ran from just below his throat to his naval. David was glad that he hadn't eaten anything as a wave of nausea washed over him at the sight.

"Sorry, should maybe have warned you first" Whale cringed when he looked up to see David turning his back to him.

"Yeah, might have been nice" he grit back. "Was it really necessary to cut him open like that?"

"Unfortunately yes, a flail chest if untreated is VERY dangerous, we had to move quickly. Better to have a scar than be buried six feet under the ground, well that's my philosophy anyway."

Whale opened a drawer on the treatment trolley in the corner of the room and took out a fresh dressing before sticking it back to the pirate's front. He then took up Hook's left arm, he fished in his pocket and came out with a large set of scissors before glancing up at David again.

"This might be messy" he said with a shrug

"I'll be fine, after that last one nothing can be worse"

David was wrong, this was just as bad. Whale pulled back the thick bandaging to reveal Hook's very bruised and bloodied left arm but that wasn't the worst part. There was metalwork sticking straight through his skin, it was obviously constructed to hold the broken bones together but David had never seen anything like it in his life. There were nine metal rods all poking up in the air, a thick bar ran down the center connecting them all together and a scar ran the length of his arm with far too many sutures in it for David to count. The metal all came out the top side of the arm leaving the bottom bit free to rest on the bed and David watched as Whale carefully cleaned around all the little spikes that disappeared beneath Hook's skin.

"This is looking good" Whale mumbled then looked at David again "It'll be covered back up for a few more days until the wound has sealed then the dressing can come off. The metal will need to stay in for about six weeks then we'll remove the bits that are sticking up, they literally just unscrew from the plates that we have attached to the bones in his arm but he will need a local anesthetic, it can be quite uncomfortable."

David was exhausted and all he had done was stand and watch. Whale finished up and excused himself leaving David to contemplate waking his Daughter before she did permanent damage to her spine but he needn't have bothered as seconds later she gave a hiss of pain as she woke then slowly sat herself up rotating her left shoulder in it's socket a few times.

"Morning" David whispered not wanting to frighten her.

She gave a slight jump but answered anyway.

"Morning, what time is it?"

"8:20" was all he replied

"God Dad, what time did you get up"

"Don't ask" he replied then added "Whale came by a while ago"

"Yeah... and?" Emma looked hopefully at him, obviously wanting good news.

"He's happy with him, he said that his head is looking much better and that they'll move him on to his back soon. He checked his chest drain, the wound on his front and his arm and seemed to be happy with all of them"

Emma relaxed a bit on her chair "I was so worried Dad, he went downhill so quickly, I didn't know what to do"

"You should have called me, I would have been here"

"I know and that's why I didn't, you needed to sleep."

"Yeah well, what I needed and what I got were two different things" He gave her a wry smile

Emma pulled herself from her chair and groaned loudly as she stretched but the sling holding her broken hand seemed to hinder her. He gave a chuckle as she pulled it off and tossed it to the side.

"Just try and moan at me Whale and I'll show you how hard this cast is when I use it as a club against your head" she mumbled as she made her way to the bathroom.

David just watched as she disappeared from sight, she was her Mother's Daughter that was for sure. A tug on his shirt tail had him turning around to find Hook holding out his hand again. David stepped forward and took it, keen to see if he would try and talk to him and when his finger started to move across his palm he smiled widely until the words were done.

"Sick Pirate trying to sleep here, be quiet"

David watched as the Pirate raised an eyebrow at him then gave a tired lopsided smile.

"I'll leave you to tell Emma that, good luck with that one" he replied with a laugh

"HOOK" Emma's voice bellowed across the room making the Pirate jump slightly on the bed

David watched as Emma rushed over, she immediately started fussing over Hook's bedding and chattered away like there was no tomorrow. David hadn't noticed that Hook still had a hold of his hand but he had to hold back a burst of laughter when the Pirate's finger suddenly moved on his palm again.

"Save me"


	22. Chapter 22

**Sorry for the lack of update yesterday, life sometimes gets in the way of my creativity... I know it's not an excuse but it is a reason.**

 **Forgive me?**

Emma had finally agreed to have a shower after Whale had provided her with a waterproof cover to keep her cast dry and David sat back in the new chair that an orderly had brought in a few minutes ago wondering how long it would be before Mary-Margaret showed up with Henry. He was bored, bored out of skull. After the Pirate had gone back to sleep he didn't even have those limited conversations to keep him amused.

He looked up to the heart rate monitor to check Hook's temperature again and while it had come down to 101 David could tell that the Pirate was still in the clutches of the infection by his feverish complexion. He could only be described as clammy and his cheeks were still very flushed. Although he had seemed much brighter the last time he was awake David still felt the protectiveness that he had developed for the man. He knew that Hook was older than him by a long way but in his head, as Emma's boyfriend he couldn't help thinking of him as he did of her, someone he needed to look out for. He shook his head at himself with a wry grin on his face, the Pirate would hate it if he knew what David was thinking, he had years on him after all but that was just the way David felt, he couldn't help it.

Hook bemused David sometimes, he always seemed to be able to get out of any situation and had the best bravado he had ever seen. It amused David when he thought of all the times that they had got into scrapes together and how Hook was so good at convincing others that they knew more than they actually did, he put people on the back foot, made them unsure of what move to make next and it was a skill that David was envious of.

David had noticed that even without the ability to see anything Hook somehow seemed to have managed to find a way of locking his eyes with his, just another example of him not letting others know how hurt he really was and if David was being completely honest this particular skill he had picked up was starting to freak him out. How did he do it?

He let out a long sigh into the silence but just then the door creaked open and his wife's head popped through wearing a worried expression.

"Is it OK for Henry to come in? I've warned him that it might not be allowed"

"Sure, there's no one here to say otherwise" David replied with a shrug

"Where's Emma?" she whispered

"Showering" he whispered back and she just nodded in understanding

Jackets were shed quickly and Henry placed his book carefully on the table across Hook's bed, the Kid had taken to carrying it around with him after finding out about the page with the door on it that was currently tucked inside. David pondered for a moment over where such an intricate door could be in Storybrooke. It wasn't like anything he remembered seeing in any of the houses he'd visited during his time as sheriff. Gold's plans had been delayed so they'd have time once Hook was better to carry on with their search... unless Gold found it first!

David shook his head, he couldn't afford to think like that so he shoved that particular thought to the back of his mind and took up Mary-Margaret's hand in his and gave her a loving smile.

In no time at all they all sat in silence by the bedside, it seemed that no one wanted to wake up the sleeping Pirate but David should have known better than to think that Hook would be out for long as seconds later a tapping noise on the bed had David on his feet at the Pirate's side. Hook still had his eyes closed but that didn't stop him from writing on David's hand the minute it came into contact with his finger

"Someone needs to say something. This silence is just awkward. Who is here?"

David grinned widely looking over at Mary-Margaret and Henry while laughing.

"You were the one that said you wanted quiet" he joked with the Pirate

Mary-Margaret looked curiously at him and asked.

"What's he saying?"

"He says that we need to talk because the silence is just awkward and he wanted to know who was here"

"Good Morning Hook, it's Mary-Margaret and Henry" she greeted warmly

"Hi Killian" Henry added with a grin

David felt his hand being dropped and Hook's hand reached out searching for Henry's instead as the Pirate's eyes popped open.

"Nothing like getting dumped... Henry he wants to talk to you"

Henry jumped forward and took hold of the Pirate's hand, David stepped back and stood by Mary-Margaret's side bringing an arm around her shoulder, pulling her to him.

Henry grinned and laughed loudly.

"What are you two laughing at?" Mary-Margaret raised an eyebrow in question

"Nothing Grandma, we're just hanging"

"Hanging huh? Well don't "Hang" too long, Hook needs his rest"

"I won't, I promise"

Emma returned to the room a few minutes later and hugged Mary-Margaret tightly before walking across and ruffling Henry's hair. The atmosphere was comfortable as Hook and Henry chatted back and forth but things took a turn for the worse after a few minutes when the Pirate visibly paled after Henry accidentally bumped the bed a little too hard in his excitement.

"I think Hook's had enough now Henry, I think it's maybe time you went home and let him get some sleep" Emma said calmly

"I'm sorry Killian, I didn't mean too, is he OK?" Henry sounded distraught

David watched as the Pirate screwed his face up obviously trying to bring his pain levels back under control but he threw his hand out to the side for anyone to take, David obliged.

"Tell the boy that I am alright. I want him to stay"

"Emma, Hook wants Henry to stay"

She sighed heavily.

"Fine, but you Pirate need to sleep and no more silliness between the two of you" she said looking directly at Henry

Hook gave a tired smile before closing his eyes, he seemed to be free from pain again and David let his hand go.

"I really am sorry Mom" Henry whispered

"I know Henry but you have to remember that he's really sick. Please just be more careful"

"I will"

The tension hung in the air and David couldn't help feeling sorry for the Kid, it really was an accident and the Pirate wasn't entirely blameless. David didn't know what they had been talking about but Henry had found it very funny.

"What were you two laughing about so much anyway Kid?"

"I'm sworn to secrecy, sorry but we can refer to it as "Operation Jack Tar"" Henry replied with a smirk

Who the hell was "Jack Tar"? David was about to ask more but he laughed instead when the Pirate's clenched fist raised from the bed and he held it out to Henry, the Kid grinned widely before fist bumping him gently.

"SLEEP" Emma yelled at Hook and David watched as the Pirate gave a lopsided grin around his mouthpiece. "I swear you two will be the death of me!" she sighed out.

They settled back on the chairs and chatted quietly so as not to disturb Hook but after a short while there was a knock at the door. David looked up expecting to see Whale or a nurse but was surprised when August stepped into the room.

"August!" Emma exclaimed "How are you feeling? Blue said that you had been unwell"

"Tired but fine" he replied stepping into her hug "How's Hook?"

"He's been better but given time I'm sure he'll be just fine too"

David watched as Emma skirted around the truth and he couldn't blame her, it was a lot to deal with but the pity of others was sometimes almost worse.

"What brings you here August?" Mary-Margaret asked lightly

"I may have some news that I think will interest you" he answered cryptically with a grin

Emma quickly guided him to the small group of chairs and practically forced him to sit.

"Well?" she asked urgently

"I'm glad you have this here Henry" August leant forward and pulled the storybook from the table. "Have you got the picture of the door?"

"Yeah but we haven't been able to find the actual door though" Henry gave a puzzled look

"Well that's because you have been looking at this all wrong" he tugged the page from the book and held it up "You see, when I told Gold that I didn't know where the door was I wasn't lying. I didn't know where it was because I didn't know where Henry had put this page"

"What? You mean the picture IS the door?" David said standing up and taking the page from the puppet's hands "You mean the Author is trapped inside the book?"

"Exactly" August agreed "Gold plans to blacken Emma's heart, he says that if he can do it she can't be the savior anymore so she won't be able to return anymore happy endings. Gold is searching for the door to free the Author so that he can make him write new endings for the villains instead. Henry, you must keep this page safe, no one can find out about it"

"They can't just unsavior the savior" Henry said with trepidation

"Not if we can free the Author first, we just need time to figure out how to do that" August smirked

Henry's eyes went wide and he smiled too while nodding slowly, David handed the page back to Henry and watched as he tucked it back between the pages of the large leather bound book in his lap.

David's mind was racing. Was the Author really in the book? What did this mean? Could this Author really change Emma's path? They had been told that it was up to them, him and Snow to guide Emma!

The others chatted but Mary-Margaret said very little and when her eyes met his he knew exactly what she was thinking. They needed to talk but he didn't want to that yet, not here, not now. David needed a distraction, he needed time to think, he suddenly had an idea that could buy him some time.

"Who wants food? I'm going to go to Granny's and grab something hot, Henry you want to come with me?" He said standing quickly and clapping his hands together.

"Sure"

"Let me go" Emma interrupted him "I need to stretch my legs, August do you want to join us?"

"I'll come with you to the diner but then I really need to get back to my Papa, he's been worrying a lot in the last few days and I told him I wouldn't be too long."

David was surprised that Emma was willing to leave the Pirate's side but he couldn't think of a good enough reason to refuse her so he sighed, knowing what was about to happen when his Daughter left the room.

"Alright, you can take my truck. I'll have the special and the biggest coffee you can carry" he said with a fake grin

They bustled out the door a few minutes later leaving David and Mary-Margaret alone in the room and he just sat waiting on the inevitable. Mary-Margaret glanced at the door nervously before leaning slightly forward and whispering in a hushed tone.

"Do you really think it's possible? Emma going dark after what we did?"

"It shouldn't be. We were told that we had to guide her, that her fate rested with us."

"But this Author, he has the power to change everything, I mean, he's going to write the villain's happy endings. Who knows what he could do to Emma! David we did a terrible thing all those years ago, we thought what were doing was the right thing for Emma and I really had thought that I had come to terms with it but now that I'm faced with it all again I realize I never will. We have to do something... without Emma EVER finding out the truth."

"We will but not right now, now we have to be here for her until Hook is well. Unless something drastic changes I say we put it to one side for the moment but speak to Regina as soon as we can, she'll keep us in the loop and we can just play it by ear."

Mary-Margaret sighed heavily and got to her feet.

"This isn't over David, we WILL discuss this further" she hissed before stomping to the bathroom.

David leant forward on his chair and put his head in his hands, God, he had so much to deal with already without having to deal with this too. Gold's plan had been delayed, they had time to find out what was going on before making any decisions. He just hoped that they could keep the page safe until they figured a way to deal with this whole mess.

Something hit the top of his head and he looked up to see Hook's hand extended out towards him, his heartbeat picked up knowing what was about to happen but hoping that he was wrong as he let the Pirate's finger fall on to his palm.

Hook's movements were slow but the words he spelt out brought fear to David's very soul.

"Tell me what you did"

Hook wore a frown on his face and David didn't need to ask what the Pirate was talking about, he knew that he had just heard everything. David felt sick... this was NOT a part of his plan!

 **Dun dun dun... I should point out that only things that were revealed in the original episode "Poor Unfortunate Soul" will be in this story, we should finish being able to move onto "Best Laid Plans" but this story will just be a bit more stretched out than in the show with maybe a few changes along the way lol**


	23. Chapter 23

**I am giving you fair warning...**

 **THERE WILL BE NO UPDATE TOMORROW.**

 **I am going away for the night. Sorry but I know that you guys won't hold it against me.**

Killian knew exactly what David and Mary-Margaret were trying to do. David had insisted that Emma should go back to the loft to get a proper nights sleep and that he would stay, she had tried to decline but when her Mother had joined in the fray she stood no chance and reluctantly agreed. He knew full well that they were trying to stop Killian from having the opportunity to speak to Emma alone and given his confused state of being it was probably a wise move.

He had listened while the Prince had tried his best to explain the whole sorry affair, they had been joined by Mary-Margaret a few minutes in and even though he couldn't see her face he could tell that she was horrified to find out that they had been overheard. She was almost at the point of hyperventilating by the time the tale was told and only calmed once Killian had assured them that he would not divulge their secret for the moment.

He needed to think which at the minute was not that easy to do, he was frustrated with his lack of energy plus he kept falling asleep at the drop of a hat. The pain in his head although getting better was still a constant drain on his strength and right now he would happily have just let the world disappear for a few hours.

Someone took hold of his hand unexpectedly, their hand coiled around his and squeezed it gently, Emma. He squeezed back as she spoke in a quiet voice. Her Parents were chatting with Henry further away so she must have been trying to talk to him without them hearing.

"I don't want to leave you" she lent forward and planted a kiss on his forehead

He quickly moved her hand so that he could talk to her.

"I will be fine Love"

"I know but I need to be here."

"You need to sleep" he wrote out

"I can sleep just fine by your side."

He knew that she meant it but he wanted to speak to David alone, he needed to understand more than what he had taken from their hurried conversation earlier.

"Please Love. For me. Go home"

He heard her sigh loudly "Fine but I'll be back FIRST thing in the morning."

"Looking forward to it" he gave his best smile around the tube in his mouth

Emma rubbed her thumb across his knuckles as he closed his hand around hers.

"Get some sleep Pirate"

"I'll make sure he does Emma" David's voice sounded closer now and Emma let go of his hand, Killian instantly felt the loss. He clenched his fist by his side determined not to show weakness by reaching out to anyone else. He was a Pirate, he did not need to hold someone's hand to feel safe.

He lay listening to the bustle of the others preparing to leave and gave a wave as they bid him farewell. The room fell into instant silence as the door closed behind them, he heard David lower himself down into the chair next to the bed seconds later.

He tried his best to stay calm, Emma would be back in no time, why was he freaking out? His panic must have shown on his face even before the heart rate monitor made itself known.

"Hey, it's alright, she'll be back soon enough. Take some deep breaths"

Killian's heart was thumping in his chest as David took hold of his hand and held it tightly while he tried to get himself together. After what seemed like an eternity his heart calmed enough for him to write on David's hand again.

"Sorry"

"Don't be, I understand"

They sat in silence for a while, neither one wanting to address the elephant in the room but eventually David spoke.

"You know I only ever wanted to protect her, right? I wanted to be the best Father I could and yes, I made decisions that I thought were right at the time that turned out to be so wrong. I regret them with all my heart but if someone asked me now if I could go back and change them I'm not sure I would. I would do ANYTHING to keep my girl safe. I sent her away. I missed the first twenty eight years of her life to keep her safe and if I know you at all, I know that is all you want for her too... PLEASE don't tell Emma what we did. Let us try to sort this out by ourselves and IF the time comes where we need to tell her we will. Trust me"

David gave a particularly wet sniff and Killian realized in that moment that he couldn't do it, he couldn't tell Emma what he knew. He knew that David and Mary-Margaret were only trying to make the best of a very bad situation, they didn't deserve his judgment. Hell he had done things much worse in his life yet they had helped him not hindered him. He moved his finger slowly over David's palm.

"You have my word but if this does come out Emma must never know that I knew and I promise you that I will try to guide her towards the right path"

David sighed loudly "Thank you. You have no idea what this means"

Killian was exhausted but wanted to be there for David, the Prince had done so much for him recently that he wanted to return the favor but he couldn't help it when his eyes slid shut. He really didn't know why he bothered opening them, it made no difference, everything was dark either way but he supposed it was just habit from centuries of doing it.

"I can see you fighting sleep Hook, you don't need to. Emma would kill me if she knew that I was keeping you awake"

He would have given some form of objection but David let go of his hand and stepped away.

"I'm going to grab a shower before I break my back on that chair for the night" he laughed before his voice turned serious "Will you be OK by yourself? I mean I can wait until you fall asleep if you want"

Killian raised his hand in a thumbs up motion then pointed towards the bathroom door letting David know that he would be just fine.

"How the hell do you do that? How do you know where everything is even when you can't see?"

Killian would have laughed if not for the tube so instead he raised his hand to his mouth in a shushing motion.

"A secret eh? I swear you need to let me in on it one day" Killian beckoned David over with his finger before writing slowly over the palm of his hand.

"Too many times being blindfolded" he grinned widely

"I'm not even going to ask!" David replied with a chuckle before laying Killian's hand back down. "Get some sleep, you look like hell"

ONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIME

Emma sat staring at the Jolly Roger, she had gone for a walk to clear the cobwebs and ultimately found herself drawn here. She knew where she was going to be sleeping tonight, her Mom wouldn't be happy but she didn't care. They all wanted her to sleep and she knew that the one place that that was likely to happen was right here, in Hook's bed. She sat with a heavy thump on one of the wooden benches that lined the harbor, the wood was damp but she didn't care, she just wanted to sit and look out over the dark water and stare the stars.

She had been sitting for a few minutes when she was suddenly aware of a raucous coming from behind her. She twisted around to see a group of very drunk people singing their way along Main Street, they had obviously been in the Rabbit Hole. The sudden need for a drink hit her and before she had even registered that she was moving she was on her feet and making her way to the bar.

The room was dimly lit and smelt awful but Emma didn't care, she made her way straight to the bar and ordered rum throwing it down her throat with a grimace the minute it was put in front of her.

"Bad day?" the barman asked with a raised eyebrow

"You have no idea" she replied tapping her empty glass on the wooden surface indicating that she wanted another, she was so close to getting him to leave the bottle but knew that she would regret it in the morning so she paid the man and turned herself around to look into the room. She leant back on the bar as her eyes looked out across the crowded floor, why was it so busy? The place really was a dive and Emma had no idea why anyone would want to come here but then she figured that she had done it so who was she to judge?

Her glass was half way to her lips when her eyes fell on Whale sitting by himself in one of the booths over in the corner, he must have finished for the day. She was just about to walk over and offer him a drink when she noticed another glass on the opposite side of the table from where he sat and figured that he was not so alone after all. She smirked and lent back, she would wait and see who the Doctor was drinking with.

Emma's jaw nearly hit the floor minutes later as Cruella sauntered over to the booth and slid down opposite Whale. NO WAY. What was the man thinking? Surely he wasn't so blind that he couldn't see that this woman was bad news. She watched as the two spoke for a few seconds, Cruella picked up her glass and tossed the contents quickly down her throat and held it out to Whale who gave a sly grin before taking it from her hand and making his way over to the bar.

Emma turned so she was standing by his side facing the bar again.

"You can't be serious?" she said taking another gulp of her drink

"What?" Whale looked genuinely confused

"You are buying that woman a drink!"

"I am and quite frankly Miss Swan it is none of your business. Am I breaking a law?"

"Well no but she is bad news" she tried to justify herself

"Well maybe "bad news" is what I'm looking for tonight" he replied with a bit of attitude, this was most definitely not their first round of drinks.

He gave her a smirk then made his way back over to the table, Cruella was staring straight at Emma and raised her hand to give a little wave. Emma's blood instantly boiled, she threw the rest of her drink down her throat and stomped from the bar. She did not need this right now and if Whale so much as smelt like alcohol when dealing with Hook the next day she would have him struck off quicker than... well, she didn't know what but it would be quick, she knew that.

Emma was tired now, it was late and it was dark as she made her way onto the Jolly. She used the light on her cell so that she could see where she was going eventually lighting the small lamp in Hook's cabin. She sent a quick text off to her Mom then turned off her cell knowing that she would probably try and call her to get her to come home but Emma was right where she wanted to be.

She tidied the cabin a bit, it had become quite cluttered from their unexpected stay and as she worked away she found herself choking back tears again as memory after memory washed over her. In the end she just threw herself onto Hook's bed and hugged his blankets to her front, they smelt like him and for the first time since she had left his side hours before she felt herself relax. The rum in her stomach pulled her towards sleep and she inhaled deeply pulling the blankets up under her chin.

"I'll be back soon Hook, I promise" she mumbled as she finally closed her eyes

ONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIME

David woke with a start to find a nurse checking on the Pirate, it was the same nurse that had came in that first morning.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you" she cringed

"It's OK" he replied rubbing his face "How's he doing?"

"Good, Dr. Whale was talking about removing his head and chest drains the day after tomorrow if he continues making progress"

"Really?" David was surprised

"Yep, he'd doing really well and his fever has finally gone. I think Dr. Whale was going to organize for another CT scan tomorrow to check the swelling on his brain but all the signs are looking good to remove the drain"

"What about his eye sight?"

"That's a bit more of a gray area I'm afraid. We will just have to wait and see what happen over the next few days BUT if we can get him off the vent he should be able to go home in as little as two weeks"

"What? I thought he'd be here for months"

"No, once he's breathing for himself and the swelling is under control he'll do more healing at home than being stuck in here, we like to get patients up and mobile as soon as possible."

"Wow... Emma will be happy to hear that"

"How long 'til the vent comes out?"

"Fingers crossed in another few days"

David sat back and brought his hand through his hair, it was hard to think that Hook could be home in two weeks looking at him now. He still looked so ill, his features had taken on an angular look but he supposed it was only to be expected, he hadn't eaten properly the whole time they were on his ship and had nothing but IV fluids since arriving at the hospital.

The nurse finished up what she was doing giving him a smile as she was walking from the room.

"Don't look so worried, he'll be back to running around town after that daughter of yours in no time"

David smiled back, for the first time in a long time he actually believed that. Things were starting to look up. He lent back in his chair and kicked his feet up on to the side of Hook's bed, he gave a sigh and closed his eyes trying to go back to sleep, it was still way too early to be awake. He was just starting to drift off when he lurched back into reality unsure as to what had happened until his eyes fell on the Pirate's face. He lay there grinning like an idiot and David watched as his hand smoothed out the bedding where his feet had rested seconds before. Yeah, the Pirate was going to be just fine if David didn't kill him before the night was out.


	24. Chapter 24

**On with the story we go, fingers crossed for Hook to get some good news**

Killian was nervous, he knew they were going to be doing some form of "photograph" of his head but he really had no idea what to expect. He gripped on to the blankets tightly as he tried in vain to slow his galloping heart.

"It's OK. It won't hurt, I promise you" David's voice sounded out from beside the bed.

That was easy for him to say, he wasn't the one going through this. He just hoped Emma would hurry up and arrive, she had promised that she would be back first thing but she was still not here. David must have read his mind as the next thing he said brought some relief.

"I'm just going to call Emma, I'm surprised that she's not here already"

Killian heard David stand up and walk towards the door and seconds later the door swished closed behind him. He was left by himself for the first time since he arrived and he didn't like it. The monitor on his left started bleeping, damn thing, he couldn't hide anything from it. He tried to calm himself down by thinking of his Swan, he imagined he standing on the deck of the Jolly, he pulled her into his embrace and held her tight. The wind was billowing in the sails as they whooshed along through the waves, she turned her face to him and gave the widest smile she could.

"I can see how you out ran a curse with her"

"Aye Love, she is the fastest ship in all the realms and she knows it"

"Plus she has a pretty awesome Captain" Emma smiled back at him.

"True" he replied with a chuckle.

The breeze on their faces was warm and pleasant as they sailed along, the sun was high in the sky and the smell of the sea was just what he needed.

"HOOK"

He wondered why Emma was shouting, she was right by his side.

"HOOK, come on wake up"

He suddenly realized that the voice wasn't Emma's but David's and in a second he was right back in the hospital bed, the memory of his beloved ship slipping from his mind. He must have fallen asleep, why did that keep happening? David had spoken, what did he want? He put his hand out to the side and David took it quickly but spoke first.

"I can't get hold of Emma, I tried calling the loft too but Mary-Margaret said that she didn't sleep there last night"

What? Where was Swan? Had something happened? He must have looked panicked as David carried on quickly, trying to ease his fears.

"It's OK, she spent the night on the Jolly Roger. Mary-Margaret says that's she heading over there now to check on her, she's just dropped Henry at school and will be there in a few minutes but Whale just came by and said that they'd be taking you for your CT scan in five minutes so it looks like you'll just need to settle for me being there instead. Sorry."

Swan had slept on the Jolly? He didn't know why but this calmed him better than any other words that David had just spoken. He wanted her here with him but if she had slept in his bed he was pretty sure that she at least would have done just that, sleep. He was glad, she had not been looking after herself over the last few days so even if it was just for one night he was happy that she had found comfort in his home.

Killian moved his finger across David's palm.

"Alright Mate but do not think that I will let you hold my hand when we are out of this room"

He heard David snort "Please, like anybody would care if the sheriff and the Pirate were holding hands, this is he twenty first century Hook, get with the times"

"That is not it Mate. It's just that you are not up to my usual standard, I have a reputation to uphold" He grinned widely around the tube in his mouth.

"Oh, like that is it? Just remember that you won't always be in that bed" David laughed

"I do hope not" Killian replied suddenly turning serious. He really didn't want to spend the rest of his days like this, only able to communicate using touch. He suddenly was brought back to reality as the door to his room opened again and Whale walked in.

"Right Hook, are you ready to get this done?"

He gave a thumbs up and tried to still his heart again.

"I know you are nervous but I promise that it will not hurt, it might be a bit loud but that is it. We are going to scan your head and chest. If everything looks good we are going to try removing your drains AND your vent tomorrow. You are making really good progress so fingers crossed"

Killian's mind was racing, he might be getting this damned tube out tomorrow. He grinned widely, it was hard to hide his relief.

"Don't get too excited, we still need to do the scan, there are a lot of things we need to look at first."

He gave a slight nod of his head and gripped the bedding tightly as he felt the bed moving, the sensation was strange, he knew he was moving but because he couldn't see he had nothing to gauge how fast he was going or if they were going to change direction which they did several times and by the time they finally stooped he was beginning to feel quite sick.

"Are you feeling nauseous?" Whale asked him quickly

He nodded his head, he really didn't want to think how that would end with the tube in his throat but he relaxed a bit as Whale took his right arm in his hand, he felt him uncap the end of the "Cannula", (that's what he'd called it before) and fiddle about with it, he must be putting something into his blood again.

"That should help, unfortunately one of the main side effects from a head injury like yours is nausea and dizziness. We can prescribe you something that should help, I'll get it added to your drugs regime."

After that everything was so confusing, he was pulled from his bad to lie on something else then he was moving again but much more slowly as everything became very echoey.

"OK, you are inside the machine now Hook. I need you to keep REALLY still once it starts, try not to move. It might get a bit noisy but that is it, I promise it won't hurt. OK?"

He gave a thumbs up again, he was getting good at that. Inside, his heart was thumping against his ribs but for once he had been disconnected from that contraption so no one else could tell, or so he thought.

"Stop freaking out, it will be over soon and I'm sure Emma will be waiting on you when you get back to your room" David called out

Gods, that man really could read his mind.

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Emma was pulled from her dream by a rough shake, she squinted her eyes against the bright light coming through the window to see her Mom's face staring down at her. What the hell was going on?

"Mom?"

"Emma, it's nearly nine thirty. We were worried when you didn't show up at the hospital"

"Oh no, I promised Hook I'd be back first thing." she cried out throwing the blankets back

"It's OK. He's alright, I've spoken to your Dad. Hook is currently getting his CT scan"

Emma instantly panicked, what was wrong? Why was he getting another CT?

"What? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, if you hadn't turned off your cell you would have got the messages that your Dad has left" she chastised "It's a good thing Emma, they are scanning his head and chest. They want to see if they can remove his drains AND his vent tomorrow" her Mom grinned widely

"What?" Emma couldn't believe it "REALLY?"

"Really. He should be done soon so if you get you butt into gear we can be there for him getting back to his room and you can find out first hand what the results were"

"I'm up, I'm up" Emma couldn't hide her smile, she felt so much better after sleeping soundly in her Pirate's bed. She dragged her fingers through her hair as she tried to make herself look a bit more presentable. "I gotta pee then were are so leaving"

A few minutes later they were driving down Main Street and Emma still couldn't stop smiling. That was until she glanced out the window and caught a glimpse of that awful fur coat disappearing into the grocery store and it brought back the memories from the night before.

"I saw Whale in the Rabbit Hole last night, he was drinking with Cruella" she grit out "How could he even think about socializing with that damned woman?"

"Don't judge him Emma, he has a hard time connecting with people. He works a lot of hours and has done a fair few more this past week, he probably just wanted to have a few drinks and forget about life for a while"

"Yeah well, he better not smell like drink today or I'm going to have him"

"Emma, don't let your hate for Cruella cloud your views on Victor. He has helped Hook a lot just remember that."

Emma sighed loudly, her Mom was right and she knew it but her good mood was gone at the thought of that scrawny, hag faced bitch.

They pulled up in the parking lot and as they made their way towards the doors the bubble of excitement suddenly returned and Emma suddenly grinned again.

"I hope this is good news" she said quietly

"It will be, it's time for a change"

They pushed through Hook's door a few minutes later to find her Dad standing with a very serious look on his face next to a sleeping Pirate. Emma's stomach dropped, he didn't look like he'd heard good news.

"Dad? What did they say?"

Her Dad looked even more somber, he turned around and pulled her into his embrace, simply holding her in a tight embrace.

"DAD! What happened?"

He suddenly pushed her back to hold her at arms length and gave her a sad smile.

"I don't know how to say this Emma... he's... getting the drains out tomorrow and the vent too" he suddenly gave a loud laugh and grinned widely.

Emma couldn't believe it, she had thought that something was very wrong. Her eyes were drawn to the bed as Hook's hand suddenly reached up.

"YOU... you were in on this too?" she yelled at the Pirate before taking his hand in hers

"What do you expect if you leave us alone too long. Did you sleep well love?"

"I won't make that mistake again, you almost gave me a heart attack and yes, I slept a little too well" she grinned widely

"The Jolly will do that to you" his movements were getting faster, another reminder that he was slowly getting better.

"Before you get too carried away Emma you should know what they are going to do" her Dad spoke behind her causing her to turn around to look at him.

"Tell me" she didn't like how he'd become serious again

"They are going to take him to surgery at about eight in the morning, he is first on the list. He will be put under before they remove the drains, once they have closed them up they will ATTEMPT to remove the vent. IF he manages to breath by himself well enough he will remain off the vent, if not he will be put back on for another few days. They are doing it under anesthetic so that they reduce his coughing, obviously with his ribs it would not be a good idea to let him cough too much."

"OK, I can live with that. I am taking a leaf out of you guy's book and having hope" she grinned again and turned back to Hook. "So tomorrow night, what say you and me have a proper conversation?"

She felt Hook's finger move across her palm.

"I say, I cannot wait"

He grinned at her around the tube in his mouth, she could hardly believe that tomorrow that thing would hopefully be gone. The Pirate was FINALLY making good progress. Now all she needed was him to get his sight back and she would be REALLY happy but she knew she had to be patient, Whale had warned them that it might take a while but she was still hopeful that it would return and she would once again be able to feel her heart clench as he looked lovingly into her own eyes.

She watched as he gave another long blink, he looked tired but happy.

"Go to sleep Pirate, I can see you fighting it"

"You sound like your Father" he slowly replied

"Good, I'm glad that we are both on the same page" she replied with a chuckle as she met her Dad's eyes

"I'll be here when you wake, I'm not going anywhere tonight and tomorrow I'll be right by your side when they take you down."

He gave her hand a squeeze and closed his eyes, he seemed to be happy to follow her instructions. She sat in the closest chair and simply held his hand until he nodded off. She wanted it to be tomorrow already, she looked at the clock, it wasn't even mid-day, how was she going to make it through the night? She was far, far too excited!


	25. Chapter 25

**OK so I just watched the new episodes and to say I am slightly traumatized is an understatement!**

Killian was equal parts nervous and equal parts excited, in a few short hours he hoped that he would finally be rid of the tube down his throat. He felt woozy, Whale had been in a few minutes earlier and administered something that he called "Pre-Med", Killian got he gist of it, it was to make him sleepy before they took him for his surgery. Normally this would not have been an issue, he'd spent more time sleeping recently than he'd been awake but today it was probably a wise move.

He had woken early, Emma had already been awake and to begin with he thought it was a reasonable time, being unable to see he had no idea how light it was outside. That was until Emma had informed him it was only three in the morning, he did try to go back to sleep and he may have dozed for a while but on the whole he had been awake ever since. The happiness he was feeling was something that he wanted to hold onto, he had not had it in such a long time.

"Stop grinning, you're gonna chew a hole in that thing before they get a chance to take it out" he heard Swan laugh out as she came through the bathroom door.

This just made him grin wider but he couldn't hold it very long, the medication that was running through his veins was already starting to work it's magic and his eyes kept sliding shut against his will.

"Hey, don't fight the sleep, that's what the meds are for. You will be awake and vent free before you know it"

Emma took hold of his hand and simply held it, he was too tired to write anything but she was all he needed anyway. Before he knew it Whale had arrived and he was being wheeled away again, Emma held onto his hand tightly, she was going to stay by his side until he was put to sleep then she would have to leave him. His heart was beating fast again but this time there was nothing he could do to slow it, the closer he got to his destination the more he was, as David called it "Freaking Out".

"Hey, it's OK" Emma squeezed his hand again.

He just clung on tightly willing this to be over as the bed was wheeled into position, again he found himself being manhandled onto another surface. It felt quite hard but also spongy, it was cold against his bare skin causing his back to arch up slightly in surprise.

"It will warm in a second, try to lie flat" someone spoke out from somewhere above his head.

He relaxed back down trying in vain to stop his mind running away from him. He felt someone take hold of his arm and Emma let go of his hand, he suddenly felt like he was drowning, she had been the only thing that had been keeping him above water. The person quickly uncapped the end of the Cannula and he felt them press something onto the end of it.

"It's OK Sir, you will start to feel really sleepy now"

"Hear that? She called you Sir" Emma laughed and took up his hand again.

The moment she made contact he relaxed, she had him, he was safe... the room was fading out now as the sounds became muffled and distorted. He was vaguely aware of hands upon his person then nothing as the world slipped away.

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Emma walked back into Hook's room to wait on her Pirate returning, this was going to be the longest wait of her life, she suddenly wished that she had brought a book but as she looked up her eyes fell on her Dad.

"What are you doing here?" she said with a wide smile

"You really think I'd let you sit here by yourself while Captain Kirk's gone?"

She just rolled her eyes "Please, like I'd date that guy"

"Well in real life he may be much better than in the story, I mean, look at Hook, would you be dating him if he was exactly like his alter ego"

"Hell no, you may have a point BUT I will have you know that I am perfectly happy with the Captain I already have" she replied with a happy smile.

"I can see that and I am happy that you are happy. I can't believe I just said that. If I had known when I first met Hook that you two were going to get together I would have hit him a whole lot harder than I did... he was such an ASS back then"

"Yeah, he was but he was just protecting himself, I can understand that"

"I know, I get it now but he did like to make life hard for himself!"

"Don't I know it?" Emma laughed out

She sat down in the chair again but suddenly she really didn't want to sit in the empty room, it felt weird without Hook in it.

"You wanna go get breakfast?" she suddenly asked her Dad

"Sure. Granny's?"

"You betcha. I could do with a stack of pancakes right about now"

They were sitting in the corner booth ten minutes later waiting for their food as Emma's stomach growled loudly. She felt hungry for the first time in ages and she was not about to let her Dad off easy after he had offered to pay so she had gone big with her order.

The bell above the door gave a jingle as someone walked in causing them both to look up. Belle walked in an instantly broke out into a wide smile.

"HI" she waved wildly and walked right over "How's Killian?"

"Hi" Emma replied "Want to join us?"

Belle nodded and slid into the booth next to Emma as she scooted over.

"He's much better, in fact he's in surgery right now getting his drains and his vent removed."

"Oh Emma, I am so happy. That is good news. How's his eyesight?"

"Still nothing but I'm hopeful that it will come back soon, Whale said that the pressure build up may have just caused some bruising so fingers crossed it won't be too much longer"

Belle ordered breakfast and they chatted for a while but eventually Emma got jittery, she needed to be back at the hospital.

They bid everyone farewell and headed back to the truck totally unaware of Maleficent sitting quietly in a booth a bit further up the diner with her back to them, she raised a knowing eyebrow, she gathered her things and slinked her way to the door and disappeared down the street

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They sat back in the chairs waiting on Hook coming back, David glanced at his watch, nearly mid-day, what the hell was taking so long? This couldn't be good. Emma's knee was bouncing frantically as the door suddenly opened inwardly and the bed was wheeled back in, David held his breath waiting to see Hook's face and sighed out a huge sigh of relief when all he saw was an oxygen mask. Hook was sleeping soundly but he looked quite flushed, David instantly looked to Whale for answers.

They settled the bed into place and David noticed that the Pirate was more upright than before, that was strange!

"Right, as you can see we managed to remove the vent but we will have to monitor him closely over the next few hours and he will be on the oxygen until I am happy that he doesn't need it. At the minute he is managing to breathe by himself but if he starts to struggle or tire we may need to intervene. We had a bit of an issue with his chest drain, that's what took so long but it's all looking good now so fingers crossed people"

He gave a reassuring smile as he fiddled about with the bed control adjusting it slightly but not lowering it much. With the Pirate in his new position his blankets pooled at his hips showing his very bruised chest and the thick pad still attached to his front

"Why's he sitting like that?" David asked casually

"It makes it easier for him to breathe, it's just until we make sure that he's managing then we can lie him back a bit. I'll get someone to bring in a gown in a while, I know it's not pleasant to look at"

"I'm just happy he's here" Emma breathed out and took hold of the Pirate's hand "How long until he wakes up?"

"Not long, he's already woken up in the recovery room but he'll be groggy for a while and probably won't have much of a voice after what he's been through, do not let him over do it he needs to rest. He should be much better tomorrow but give him time, this will have taken a lot out of him"

"We will Doc, don't worry." David clapped Whale on the shoulder but let his hand fall quickly when the smile fell from the Doctor's face and his eyes dropped to the hand.

"OK, this didn't just get awkward at all" Emma whispered loudly

"Indeed" Whale agreed "I'll be back to see Hook tomorrow morning, Nurse Kyle will be keeping an eye on him until I'm back on shift, I have a date to get to"

The doctor grinned widely and looked right at Emma as if daring her to say something but she just clamped her jaw shut and looked towards her Pirate. What was that about?

Whale left the room a few minutes later and Emma gave an audible growl "I can't believe him"

"What? Am I missing something?" David was confused

"He's seeing Cruella, I can almost guarantee it. I saw the two of them in the Rabbit Hole the other night and she had him right under her thumb, he was practically drooling all over her"

"What? Whale and Cruella? Really?"

"Yep and when I tried to talk to him about it he told me to butt out"

"Well I'm sure he'll find out quickly enough that she is not a nice person, Emma we can't stop people living their lives, we have enough going on right here"

Just then Hook suddenly stirred on the bed, his hand coming up to his face to pull the mask away, David moved quickly and grabbed hold of his arm.

"Leave it alone, it stays on"

"Change the record Mate" Hook croaked out but it was like music to David's ears, he hadn't realized how much he'd missed the Pirate's voice until just then.

"You sound like you've smoked fifty cigars" David laughed

"Feel like it too" Hook furrowed his brow as he brought his hand to his chest and he gave a slight cough "Ow"

"Yeah, that's going to hurt for a while" Emma winced in sympathy

"Swan" Hook suddenly grinned widely

Emma took hold of his hand again and Hook's eyes fell on her face, David had to remind himself that the Pirate still couldn't see, his ability to look at thing was getting beyond weird.

"You need to rest Killian, we can chat later but right now you need to go back to sleep. IF you are feeling better tonight we can have a chat then"

"Aye Love, I could do with some sleep... tired" Hook's eyes had slid shut again and David watched as he gave a sigh.

Who knew that such a simple thing could bring great comfort, David was happy that there would be no more mechanical breaths, there had been nothing natural about them and the noise of the machine had disturbed him. Emma stroked the side of Hook's head, they had left the dressing off and David could see the neat row of stitches in his newest wound, that was going to leave a scar but his hair should cover it, when it grows back!

"Come on Emma, let him sleep" he tugged at her sleeve and he didn't fight him.

They sat back in the seats once again and just waited, there was nothing else for it, only time would work it's magic in that hospital room and they would just have to be patient to see the results.

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Whale smirked to himself, how had he managed to bag such a catch? He stood at the bar again waiting on his order to arrive but before the drinks were poured Cruella sauntered over to his side.

"Let's say we ditch this joint"

"What did you have in mind?" he quirked a brow at her

"That's for me to know and you to find out" she answered cryptically as she walked away, she turned with a pout and beckoned him with one finger to follow her.

He was practically running from the door seconds later, this was going to be one hell of a night!

They made their way to what Whale assumed was Cruella's car, it was HUGE, she must have money. He grinned even wider, if he played his cards right he'd be set up for life, she really was a catch.

"Get in" she said with a smirk

He grabbed the handle, yanked the door open and climbed in... and his world went dark.

Cruella slid into the driver's seat and turned to look into the back seat.

"Nicely done dahling" she crooned

"Glad you approve" Maleficent said cooly "I found out something very interesting earlier today"

"And just what would that be?"

"The Pirate is on the mend BUT we have an advantage, he is blind... he literally is not going to see this coming"


	26. Chapter 26

**Nope... still not over the new episodes!**

This couldn't be happening, it couldn't be real. This was karma finally paying him back for all the things he had done in the past to try and bring his Brother back, he had sought the ultimate heart, he had made a deal with the Dark One and betrayed the Evil Queen in his quest to find one... this was irony at it's best!

Victor made his way down the corridor, it was a strange sensation, it was like looking through someone elses eyes as his hand rose up to push the door to Hook's room open. He was screaming inside his head, he didn't want to do this but he could not resist the whispers that flooded his mind and as if to reiterate the point he lurched forward slightly, he was obviously taking too long.

It was still early and true to her routine Emma was in the shower, he could hear the water running and her humming along to the music that was obviously playing out from her cell. The voice in his head pulsed again and before he knew it he was in the room and the door was swinging closed behind him.

"Please, someone stop me" he cried but his pre-programmed instructions were clear as the voice whispered in his head once more and Cruella cackled loudly at him

"You will go to the Pirate, you will give him whatever drug you deem necessary to incapacitate him then you will rip out his heart and crush it right before Emma Swan's eyes... then you will pay the ultimate price, you Dr Frankenstein will become a martyr for OUR cause"

He was going to die, he was going to kill Hook then he was going to die... for what? Why were they doing this? He had so many unanswered questions but he had no time to think on them as his hand reached into his pocket and found the syringe that lay there.

"GOD... SOMEONE... ANYONE... STOP ME" he yelled but no one came.

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Regina made her way to the safe house that the rest of "her friends" had taken to hiding out in to find Cruella practically glowing with joy, what was going on?

"Regina, just in time for the fun Dahling" Cruella keened

"What's going on?" she asked cautiously

"I am just about to witness first hand our fine Doctor commit a heinous crime by killing the sickly Pirate and putting him out of his misery. Our heroic Savior Swan will be so consumed by rage that she won't think twice about snapping the poor man's neck only to find out later that he had no control over his actions, she will be overcome by grief and guilt at the same time and we will FINALLY get what we want when she is taken by the darkness... No more Savior and when we find that Author we will all get our happy endings"

"What are you yapping about? What is Whale supposed to do? You think after one night with you that he will do your bidding?" Regina scoffed, this was ridiculous.

"Oh he will do exactly what I want"

"And just why is that?" Regina raised an eyebrow in question, a smirk firmly on her face.

"Because" she stood abruptly and reached for a small box that sat in the center of the table "he can't resist me"

Cruella gave the most sinister sneer that Regina had ever seen, worse than anything she had ever given and as the walking bag of bones pulled the lid of the box back it revealed a glowing heart inside. NO, was that Whale's heart? This had just got VERY bad for Hook and Emma but Regina was a master at her craft, she curled her lip into a smirk and gave a chuckle as Cruella dug the heart out of the box.

"Let's see how long it takes for the Swan bird to kill the monster creator" she purred.

Regina grinned, she had Cruella suitably distracted so she grabbed her cell from her jacket pocket and managed to dial Swan, please let her be somewhere close by.

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Emma turned off the water and grabbed her towel, was someone in with Hook? She thought she could hear raised voices, what was going on? She quickly dried and threw her pajamas back on, she was just about to head out into the room which had gone quiet again to see what was going on when her cell rang, interrupting the tune that was playing. She glanced at the screen to see it was Regina, grabbing the phone quickly she lifted it to her ear.

"Regina, any news? What's going on?"

There was only silence, strange.

"Regina?" she called out again but got nothing.

Maybe she had butt dialed her. Emma was just about to hang up when she heard Regina's voice, it was slightly muffled but it was definitely the Queen talking.

"So who came up with this genius plan then? You? I have to say I am most impressed but I have one question. Just how is Whale going to pull out the Pirate's heart? He has no magic."

WHAT? Had she just heard that right?

"Gold, he reattached the Doctors arm after some kind of incident a while back so he could enchant it to do the task in hand... pun intended"

NO NO NO... Whale was going to do what now? Suddenly Emma remembered the raised voices from before, she tossed the cell to the side and raced into the other room to find the Doctor hunched over the bed.

"Stop me stop me stop me stop me stop me, I don't want to die" he was muttering

In the next instant he stood back up and turned around, his face was shock white and there in his left hand was Hook's still beating heart but something was wrong, the beat was getting slower and the red flickered as Whale clutched it tightly between his fingers.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" Emma yelled

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you, I'm so sorry... I didn't want to"

To Emma's horror Whale's fingers started to tighten around Hook's heart and the monitor by the bed went crazy for a split second before the beeps started to slow, they got slower with every press of the Doctors digits. Emma felt her power surge and before she knew it Whale was flying through the air, he slammed off the wall and slid to the floor where he remained motionless.

Hook's heart lay on the cold tiles and tears sprung to Emma's eyes as she picked it up, something was wrong, it was still slowing in beats, what was going on? She raised her eyes to the bed and saw the syringe still sticking out of the Cannula in Hook's arm. NO, Whale had injected him with something too. She ran to the bed not knowing what to do... God, what should she do? Hook's heart was losing it's glow right before her eyes, he was literally dying in her hands and she could do NOTHING to stop it.

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Henry ran along the corridor to Hook's room, he was carrying a drinks tray and muffins from Granny's for him, his Mom and Killian. His Grandpa was going to meet him here later to take him home, he hadn't wanted to go to work being a Saturday and all but with his Mom and Hook out of action work was piling up.

He pushed the door open and the drinks hit the floor at the sight before him. Whale was struggling to get up from the floor and his Mom stood with tears streaming down her face with... what the heck? Was that a heart in her hand? Wait, was that Killian's heart? What was going on?

"Mom?"

"HENRY... GO GET HELP NOW"

"What's going on?" he called back

"I don't have time to explain, GET HELP"

Whale finally managed to get himself upright but instead of helping like Henry thought he was going to he dived for his Mom but something wasn't right, he was yelling the whole time.

"SOMEONE STOP ME" he shouted over and over.

Henry's eyes darted around the room and stopped on an empty metal bed pan that sat by the bathroom door, without giving it much thought he grabbed it, ran over a thwacked Whale over the head with it. The Doctor instantly dropped to the floor.

"Mom, what is going on? Is that Killian's heart?"

"Yes Henry and if we don't get help right now he is going to die"

Henry looked at the heart that seemed to be losing color at an alarming rate but Whale didn't seem to be done just yet as he started to move again. Henry had an idea as he saw his Mom's jacket hanging on the chair close by, he dived for it, sliding on his knees to a halt and jamming his hand into the pocket that he knew she kept her cuffs. He felt the cool metal against his fingers and was moving in an instant towards the downed doctor, he slapped the cuff on his wrist and hauled him with all his strength through the bathroom door where he quickly attached the other end of the handcuffs to the metal water pipes. He jumped back up and ran back into the other room, his Mom was still freaking out so he hit the emergency call button and tried to calm her down.

"Help is coming, he'll be fine"

"You don't understand Henry, he gave him something, he injected something else into him, it's not just a case of putting this back in" she held up the heart then marched off towards the bathroom"

"What did you give him?" she screamed as the Doctor sat himself up

"I can't tell you" he said through clenched teeth, Henry could tell that he was trying to fight something, did someone have him under their control? "They said I can't tell you or any of your family but worse than that sill, I can't tell any medical personnel... I am sorry Miss Swan, I can't"

"NOOOOO... This can't be happening" His Mom let out a wail of distress and stumbled back towards the bed as a team of nurses ran in.

Henry watched as they worked on Killian, they had laid him down flat and were injecting him with different things but nothing seemed to be working, they needed to know EXCATLY what Whale had used, then an idea struck him.

"Dr. Whale" he knelt down by his side and the Doctor gave him a tired look

"What?"

"Tell Hook"

"What? Tell him what?"

"You said that you couldn't tell any of our family or any medical personnel but they didn't say you couldn't tell Hook so yell it to him before it's too late"

Whale gave a hopeful look and opened his mouth as if to test the theory.

"Hook, you need to listen" he gave a gasp as he found that the words came out "I injected you with Digoxin, do you hear me Hook? DIGOXIN"

Whale slumped back against the wall again and Henry was on his feet in seconds, he ran to his Mom's side and watched as the team of nurses worked quickly.

"I need Digibind FAST... go now"

One of the nurses raced from the room as the others continued to work at a frantic rate, Henry watched in horror as they pulled a huge needle out and it was thumped through Killian's chest straight where his heart would be. Henry turned to watch the heart in his Mom's hands as it gave a pulse of bright red and the monitor picked up a beat. The nurse that had ran from the room flew back in seconds later and slapped the medicine into the other nurse's hand. It was put through the Cannula in seconds and the nurse stood back to look at the monitor, it picked up again and Henry watched as the numbers continued to climb.

The heart in his Mom's heart gave a judder then glowed bright red before starting to beat normally. She held it tightly to her chest as tears fell from her face then stepped forward lowering it slowly onto Killian's chest where it rested for a moment before she gave it a slight push and it sunk back into his body eliciting a groan from the man on the bed.

"Hook?" she cried out

"Swan?" he mumbled but he was obviously too tired to carry on as he just closed his eyes again.

"He should be fine now but we will need to keep a close eye on him" the nurse smiled sweetly at them.

The nurses gathered their things and left the room quietly and Henry pulled his Mom into a hug just as she spoke.

"You did great Kid, you saved him"

"Yeah, I did, didn't I?"

Henry smiled widely as he clung to his Mom but a noise behind them had them both spinning on the spot as a cloud of Purple smoke appeared in the room to reveal his other Mom.

"Mom!" he leapt forward and hugged her tight

"Henry, Emma are you all alright?" her face was full of concern.

"We're fine, thanks for the warning otherwise I wouldn't have been, I would have squished that wart faced buffoon like a bug" Emma replied with a very serious face

"I'm just glad I got the message across. I don't have much time, I put a freezing spell on Cruella and it only lasts a few minutes. Here, this belongs to our good Doctor, see that he gets it back. He'll need to stay hidden until this whole thing is over. I'm sure I can convince the others that you managed to save the Pirate but killed Whale for his troubles, it should keep the pressure off you for a while"

"Thanks Regina" Emma said taking Whale's heart in her hand.

"No problem. Watch out Emma, the others mean business"

"We will and thanks again"

Henry hugged Regina again before she disappeared in her purple haze. Emma lifted the heart in her hand up and eyed it carefully before a smug look came over her face. She marched into the bathroom and stood in front of Whale, Henry watched as she gripped the heart tightly causing Whale to wince.

"MOM!"

"Henry, leave this to me, I know what I am doing. Now Whale do you agree that you should have listened to me?"

Her face was full of fury, Henry couldn't believe what he was seeing, the doctor just nodded his head and his hand came up to his chest as if he were in pain.

"You are about to pay the ultimate price for what you did, you are a dead man Whale, you hear me? A dead man."


	27. Chapter 27

**WOW... you guys were not as excited as I thought you would be about Whale trying to kill Hook, only two reviews! Oh well, on we go...**

Killian stirred awake, he was so confused, what had happened? He had been waiting on Emma finishing in the shower when Whale had come in but something had not been right, Whale was yelling for someone to stop him. Killian had not known what the doctor had been talking about but when Whale had grabbed his arm he had started to chant over and over and over again. The realization had hit Killian hard, Whale was not in control of his own actions. That was his last coherent thought... then nothing until just now. If Whale had been under someone else's control and was supposed to do something to him why was he still here?

He tried to move but a dull pain had settled in the center of his chest, it was a different pain to the one he had become accustomed too over the last few days, it almost felt like someone had tried to remove his heart but that was ridiculous . The thought left his head as soon as it entered as he suddenly heard Swan speak from somewhere off to his right.

"Right Henry, you position the body over by the wall"

"Mom, would you stop calling him a body, it's Doctor Whale"

"Yeah well, not anymore. That's the price he paid when he tried to kill MY Pirate"

What in the blazes was going on? Swan! Killian sat straight up, the pain in his chest doubled and he gasped as the streak of agony ripped though him at the movement.

"HOOK!" Emma's voice called out and seconds later he felt her hands on him trying to push him back down onto the bed but he pushed back, he needed answers.

"What did you do Swan? He was wasn't in control of his own actions Swan, please tell me you didn't kill him" he was almost whimpering and he had his eyes clamped against the pain pulsing through him.

"I didn't, it's alright, he's fine" she answered quickly

"But you said..." he started but a wave of vertigo washed through him and his world spun, how was that even possible when you couldn't see? He clenched his jaw hard against the wave of nausea that followed.

"Hey, come on lie back and I'll explain everything" Emma soothed and helped him lie back against his pillows.

"Here, let me help"

Whale's voice appeared by his side and without thought Killian's eyes popped open in surprise, the man was still alive after all! The words that were about to fall from Killian's mouth turned into a gasp as the doctor's face fell into focus in front of his very eyes. He turned his head quickly to find Swan, she was watching Whale as he worked on his right arm, obviously putting something else into his blood but Killian didn't want to look away to see what was going on. Emma looked so worried that it almost broke his heart at the look on her face, there were tears shining in her lashes and he couldn't stop staring at her, she was so beautiful.

"That should help, I'm sorry that I, you know tried to crush your heart. I really didn't want to but you know, someone had a hold of mine sooooo..."

The Doctor eventually stopped talking and let go of his arm, the minute he was released Killian's hand was moving. He brought it up to Emma's face, she was looking at him now but it still didn't seem to have clicked that he could see yet. He cupped her cheek in his hand and brought his thumb under her eye to wipe away the tears that had fallen.

"Swan!"

Her eyes locked with his and her mouth dropped open slightly, there it was, she finally got it.

"Hook?!" she smiled tentatively

He smiled right back and her face crumpled as more tears fell but she was laughing too. He pulled her to his front and hugged her as best as he could, the position was awkward but he didn't care, he could see his girl again and right now that was all that mattered.

"Killian?" Henry's voice pulled his attention back into the room.

"Aye Lad?"

"Can you really see again?"

"If I tell you that Whale's got his top on inside out would you believe me?"

Henry laughed as he looked at the surprised looking Doctor standing next to him as he looked down at the t-shirt that showed beneath his white coat.

"Hey, I wasn't exactly in the right frame of mind when I dressed this morning, I usually wear a shirt, you think someone would have noticed that something was wrong when I showed up looking like Doogie Howser MD but no"

Henry laughed harder and Killian found himself joining in until his ribs protested too loudly to ignore. Whale quickly approached the bed and took a small light from his pocket and shone it in each of Killian's eyes, it made the pain in his head flare slightly but it was not as bad as it had been before his world went dark.

"Good, it seems that we were right, now that the swelling has gone and the pressure in your head has settled your eyesight has returned. We'll have you up on your feet in no time, give it a week and you'll be home in your very own bed"

"That would be a no, he will not be going anywhere near his own bed until I know he is well enough to be trusted to be left by himself, he will be coming back to the loft with us" she smiled sweetly at Killian then ruffled Henry's hair.

Killian's heart swelled with love for his Swan, he watched her as Whale moved away then spoke with his arms held out wide

"Are we carrying on or what?"

"Just what were you doing when I woke up if you weren't disposing of Whale's body?" Killian asked curiously

"We weren't disposing of his body, we were making him into a body" Henry answered cryptically.

Whale rolled his eyes "Can we just get this done so I can go hide in the basement somewhere?"

"What's going on Love?" Killian was still very confused, he was getting tired again and he was struggled to figure this out.

"You alright here by yourself for a minute?" Emma squeezed his hand but he nodded quickly, he'd be just fine if it meant getting answers.

Emma moved from the bed and walked back over to the side of the room. Whale sighed deeply then lay down on the floor in what seemed to be a crumpled heap, like he had just slid down the wall. Emma stood with her legs slightly apart, one in front of the other, hands raised in front of her like she was using her magic, this wasn't making things clearer.

"Love, still confused here."

"I know, two seconds" she turned back to Henry "Right, grab the sheet and spread it over him, maybe leave his hand sticking out for a bit of extra effect"

Killian watched as Henry did as he was told before stepping back and raising his talking phone up in front of his face but after a few seconds they seemed to be done as Whale got up from the floor.

"OK Whale, you can go BUT do not leave this hospital unless you want this to be reality"

"I'll come back and check on the patient later when it's a bit quieter and don't worry, I'll be careful not to be seen, I know this hospital like the back of my hand" he said as he pulled the door back and peeked out into the corridor before giving a small smile "Thank you Miss Swan, you know, for not killing me!"

Whale disappeared from view, Henry and Emma walked back over to Killian's side, Emma sat on the edge of his bed giggling to herself and took his hand again while Henry fiddled with his phone.

"Did you call Grandpa? Is he bringing your laptop?" Henry asked Emma

"Yep, he should be here soon." she replied

Emma turned back to Killian and smiled "Right, you ready to hear this?"

"Aye Love, more than" Killian nodded his head

"Here goes then. Right, Cruella tricked Whale into leaving with her last night when they were drinking in the Rabbit Hole, she kidnapped him and Gold took his heart then enchanted his hand to be able to remove YOUR heart. The plan was for him to drug you in case I found him before he had a chance to pull your heart out so that you would die either way. Then he was supposed to take your heart and crush it in front of me so that I would get so angry that I would kill him. It would have worked too but Regina managed to get a message to me. Regina was able to sneak away and returned his heart, she will convince the others that I managed to save you but still killed Whale."

"He drugged me" Killian pondered "That's why I passed out?"

"Yeah, it was horrible Killian, I thought I was going to lose you again but Henry here saved the day after he found a loophole in Gold's plan. He managed to find out what Whale had given you and the nurses gave you the antidote" Emma beamed

Henry had saved him, Killian turned his head and smiled widely at the boy.

"Thank you Lad, it seems that I owe you my life"

"Meh, don't worry about it, it's all in a days work for us hero types" Henry grinned

So Henry had saved him but what had they been doing with Whale when he had woken up?

"So what were you doing with Whale on the floor?" Killian was still confused by that part

Henry stood up and turned the phone around to show Killian the screen, ah, they had taken photographs. Now he understood why Whale had been playing dead but not why they needed to do it.

"Why Love?" he said with a yawn.

"We figured that if "a secret source" sent photos of me "killing" Whale, in defense of your life to the Daily Mirror that Gold would find it more convincing. My Dad is bringing my laptop so that I can send the photos from an untraceable email address, I'll just create one then use a proxy server..." she trailed off "I've lost you haven't I?"

"I get the idea Love, it is a trick to keep the Doctor alive and the heat off of you for a while, I like it" he gave her a warm smile but his eyes slid shut with it, he was so tired.

It's funny how when you can't see you don't notice these things but the minute Swan's face disappeared from view his eyes popped back open, he didn't want to fall asleep, he wanted to stay awake.

"Hey, it's OK to sleep you know. I'll still be here when you wake up and you'll still be able to see me." she stroked the side of his face and he couldn't help it, his eyes closed by themselves again.

"If I wake and can't see I am holding you responsible for tempting fate" he replied with a smirk.

"I can live with that" she simply said and placed a kiss on his forehead.

She sat by his side holding his hand as she chatted quietly to Henry, he listened for a while to their silliness, he loved how they were together but eventually he really couldn't fight it anymore and he fell asleep with his family by his side.

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David hurried down the corridor, he knew that the danger was past, it had been nearly two hours since the attack but he still wanted to make sure everyone was alright with his own eyes. He pushed the door open to find Emma perched on the side of Hook's bed and Henry grinning at him from his chair.

"You alright?" he immediately asked his Daughter

"I'm fine, we're all fine. I just need to send this email then we can put the whole thing behind us. Whale will be dead by my hand but I won't feel guilty as he was attacking Hook, if I somehow then hear that he was under Cruella's control I will just need to pretend to be upset for a while until we figure this whole door, Author thing out"

David handed her the laptop, she opened it quickly and connected Henry's cell. She was done in a matter of minutes as she closed it and laid it on the table across Hook's bed.

"How's he doing?" he Emma asked casually pointing to the Pirate

"It's rude to point you know Mate" Hook replied raising an eyebrow at him.

David's eyes went wide as he watched the Pirate try to sit himself up a bit higher in the bed but Emma was quick to jump up and help him by adjusting his pillows.

"Either your uncanny ability got super freaky or you can see me... please tell me it's the latter"

"Aye Mate and what a sight you are. Did you run all the way here?"

"I was worried about you guys!" David defended as he straightened his rumpled shirt, the Pirate only just got his eye sight back and already he was mocking him.

"I didn't know that you cared" Hook grinned widely

"Well now you do" David knocked the smile straight from Hook's face

"I'm fine, honest, you can stop worrying about me. I'll be out of here in a few days and then you'll be sick of the sight of me when we are falling over one another"

"You think so? I'm pretty sure if I'm not sick and tired of you by now I'll be alright, if you have enough of a bad thing you soon become immune" he laughed

The Pirate looked like he was about to retort but his words turned into a coughing fit instead and David watched as the color drained from his face, that must hurt like hell. He grabbed the cup of water from the bedside cabinet and held it up for Hook to drink from when the coughing finally stopped, the Pirate looked exhausted when he finally got his breathing under control, David pulled the oxygen mask back into place as the Pirate relaxed.

"Thanks Mate" he breathed out once he was settled.

Hook's eyes closed, he was breathing harshly and a sweat had broken out across his face, David was worried again, it seemed to be his default mode recently.

"You OK?" David asked in concern

"I feel like someone has hit me with another one of those damned cars, stopped and ran me over again, what do you think?" He said quirking an eye open at him before he finally opened the other one and let his gaze fall on his own battered body "What the hell did that damned monster maker do to me anyway?"

He brought his hand up towards the dressing that ran down his front but Emma grabbed hold of his arm and pulled it back.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you"

"What happened? I don't remember sustaining an injury there" he looked genuinely confused

"You didn't, they had to cut you open to fix your ribs. When Ursula grabbed you on the ship your damaged ribs snapped, one of them went into your lung. They had to fix them using metal rods hence why you've been sliced open like a fish. You are gonna have one hell of a scar to brag about once it's all healed" David gave him a smirk as Hook's eyebrows went high on his head

"It is very strange seeing the damage for the first time when I have been dealing with the pain for days" he seemed to have a sudden thought and looked down as he raised his left arm. His jaw dropped as he took in the sight before him. David was just about to try and make it sound better than it looked but nearly snorted at the Pirate's next words.

"THIS IS THE BEST ATTACHMENT I COULD ASK FOR...Swan I love it, do you think I will still be able to wear my hook with this, I may need to adjust the bindings but I can work round that, right?"

"You don't get to keep that!" Emma exclaimed "They take the metal away in a few weeks once the bones have healed plus you may need to get a new hook...or hand or whatever, your one is still stuck in that tree trunk down at Devil's Cove"

"Really?" he looked crestfallen but tried to hide it with humor "No matter, I can work with this, do they really have to remove them? I could do some serious damage with these" he pointed to the bits of metal protruding from his skin.

"Alright Wolverine, calm yourself down. Yes, they have to remove them and no I am not going to ask if they will leave them, I'd need to make you wear scratch mitts every time you went to bed" Emma laughed

Hook looked a little confused, he really did need to watch more movies. David had a feeling that he would quite like X-Men too, maybe when they got him home he'd have a movie marathon with him... maybe.

"Alright, I get your meaning now Swan. I want these things gone as soon as possible. The last thing I want when I'm in bed is anything that might harm you, as you know things can get bad enough with just my hook"

"HOOK!" Emma blushed furiously

"What?" he looked baffled

Yeah, the movie marathon was off!


	28. Chapter 28

**So you seemed a bit happier with the last chapter, thanks for the feedback guys, it means a lot.**

 **Shorter chapter tonight, I had a lot on, sorry. Hope you still enjoy it. Review and let me know what you think.**

Killian felt awful as he lay in his bed with his eyes clamped shut against the bright light, it seemed with the return of his eyesight it had also brought something Whale had called a "Migraine", this coupled with the nausea that kept plaguing him with his dizzy spells was enough to have him wishing for death.

He heard a noise to his left and the room darkened as Emma turned out the light, he let out a sigh of relief as the pain in his head dulled slightly. He creaked an eye open to watch as she made her way back across to her chair by his bedside.

"The meds should kick in soon" she whispered as she took hold of his hand.

He couldn't even muster the energy to reply, he just closed his eyes and hoped that she was right. He couldn't sleep, he couldn't talk, he couldn't concentrate, the only thing he would be able to do quite soon was "Puke" his guts up if Emma was wrong about the meds, why did this have to happen now? He was supposed to be getting out of bed in the morning.

He let out a shuddering breath as another wave of nausea washed over him and a groan left his mouth without permission as he curled in on himself trying to stop it in it's tracks.

"Shhhhhhhh... it's alright" Swan soothed.

He could hear her moving about next to the bed, then he heard the water running in the bathroom, the next thing he knew was that she was placing a cool cloth over his eyes and it felt like bliss. He sighed as the coolness seemed to wash straight through to his damaged brain. He gripped Emma's hand in his, he could feel her rubbing her thumb back and forth over his knuckles and it felt good.

The world was starting to fade away, he was finally going to be able to escape this night and perhaps wake feeling better but he should have known better, nothing in his life was ever that simple...or pain free.

His stomach lurched, the impending sickness rushing straight to now as he was suddenly launching himself towards the side of the bed without thought of his injuries. The contents of his stomach hit the floor in a wet splat but he never knew it, he was too busy trying not fall from the bed, Emma had grabbed him by the shoulders and hung on to him like his life depended on it, which being honest it possible did, she was the only thing keeping him upright.

When he finally finished he couldn't do anything for himself, he was practically incapable of moving. His chest felt like was on fire and his head was close to exploding, Gods, someone please, just end this now. Emma managed to wrestle him back onto his pillows where he lay gasping for breath, Emma had gone, she was no longer by his side but he couldn't get his eyes to do what he wanted so he just lay there unknowing of her whereabouts.

A loud noise made him jump and he hissed as pain rattled through to his very soul, then there were voices, too many voices, they were too loud.

"What's going on?" too loud, too loud, he tried to cover his ears but with only one hand it was impossible

"Shhhh..." Emma chastised, he could kiss her right now.

The voices dropped and he was aware of movement around him, he guessed someone was cleaning up the mess as he heard someone down on the floor but the next thing was unexpected as someone brought a cup to his mouth.

He popped an eye open to squint at the person to find Emma by his side.

"Here, drink this. I know it smells funny, it's an energy drink, apparently the caffeine can help and it might also take away the taste in your mouth" she whispered

He took a few sips before refusing anymore, it tasted disgusting but he would try anything to relieve the pain. He closed his eyes again and a second later he felt Emma adjust his pillows and something really cold hit the back of his neck, seconds later the same coldness was settled on the side of his head, it felt good so he didn't move, he just lay as still as he could.

"The ice packs should help too, try and get some sleep"

"Tha'k y' L've" he managed

He was so tired, the agony seemed to be receding now as the cold ice packs did their job, they were a relief beyond words as he finally drifted off, leaving the pain behind.

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David knew something was wrong the minute he pushed the door open just after nine to find the room still in darkness, he squinted across to the bed where he could just make out the silhouette of Emma slumped over by Hook's feet. The Pirate himself was sleeping soundly, his rough breathing a dead give away. When he was awake he was conscious of taking deep breaths, Whale had advised him that he needed to do it to stop pneumonia setting in but in sleep he had no control, sometimes it sounded almost painful as each ragged breath escaped his mouth.

"Emma" David whispered as he shook her slightly

"Huh?" She lifted her head from the bed and David could see the weariness in her face.

"What's going on?" he asked quietly

Emma raised her finger to her mouth then motioned towards the door, he followed her as she walked out into the corridor covering her eyes against the harsh artificial light.

"He's got a migraine, he's really suffering Dad, puked his guts up and everything. Is this what it's going to be like from now on?"

"Don't think like that, they just need to sort out his meds. Emma he can see, that is the best result we could have hoped for. He is going to be alright, it might just take a bit of time."

He pulled her to his front and hugged her tightly, she was exhausted he could tell but he knew that she wouldn't want to leave his side so didn't even suggest it.

"Come on, you go back into your Pirate, I'll be back in an hour. You can't keep sleeping hunched over the end of that bed Emma, I'm going to go and grab you a camping cot and then you are going to sleep and I'll watch over your Pirate for you"

She didn't even try to object, she must be really tired.

"Thanks Dad" she gave him a tired smile as she pushed the door back open "That would be great"

He left the hospital, headed to the hardware store and grabbed the best cot that they had, he wanted Emma to get a decent sleep so he would pay what he needed to. It was in the back of the truck in no time and he swung by the loft to pick up some bedding and pillows.

He pulled back into the parking lot in less the forty minutes, he was impressed. He took the bed in first, being careful not to make too much noise as he backed into the room. It was still dark but Emma was not sleeping, she jumped up to help taking the bed from his hands. She helped him to set it up on Hook's right hand side after they moved the chairs then David brought in the bedding.

EVENTUALLY he settled himself on Hook's left side on one of the hard chairs as Emma snuggled down under the covers, in no time at all she was sleeping soundly.

The room was quiet apart from the sound of the other two breathing in their sleep, David brought out his cell, he was bored but had no intention of leaving the room. He downloaded a book and started to read, he had read several chapters before he realized that Hook's breathing had changed. He looked up to see the Pirate watching him through half lidded eyes.

"Hey" he whispered "How you feeling?"

"Better than I did Mate" Hook croaked back "Can I have some water please?"

"Yeah, no problem, hang on" he struggled around Emma's bed to grab the water from the bedside table and Hook frowned in confusion at his awkward movements

"Emma." he said pointing down "She's sleeping, I brought in a bed for her"

"Good" was all Hook said as David handed him the cup of water

He finished it quickly and handed the cup back to David before leaning back on his pillows with a sigh.

"I have had many head injuries in my long life but none have made me wish for death like I did last night. I felt like my head was going to tear from my body"

"Yeah, Migraines can do that to you. Hopefully with the new meds that will be the last one you suffer from" David said with a sympathetic smile

"I hope so" Hook said with a yawn. "What time is it?" he asked suddenly

"Not even lunch time, I'll let Emma sleep for another hour then I'll wake her, I don't want her being awake all night"

"Do you think they'll still let me try getting out of bed?" Hook asked hopefully

"I doubt it, you look awful. Give yourself time to get over it Hook, if you try to do too much too soon it can make the migraine come back"

"Gods no, I'd stay in bed for a whole week if it meant never having to deal with that again"

David chuckled at the shocked look on Hook's face but he understood, he'd only ever had one migraine in his life but the pain would stay with him for life, it was indescribable, strangely enough he had got it just after a certain Pirate had hit him around the head with a crowbar!

"How's the stomach?" David asked cautiously

Hook looked thoughtful for a minute before he smirked.

"Empty, any chance of some food? Now that I don't feel like I've lost my sea legs and the room finally seems to have stopped spinning I'm pretty hungry"

"I'm sure I could rustle up something from Granny's, any requests?"

"Grilled cheese... and onion rings" Hook grinned

"Yeah, I wasn't going to let her starve you know? You fine with some pasta? You might want to lay off the greasy stuff for a while until your stomach catches up with your head, you've not eaten properly in weeks"

"Thanks Mate, pasta will be just fine"

"If you behave I might just bring you back an ice cream too" David gave a chuckle

"I would sound excited but I don't think I have ever had one so I have no idea what it tastes like but Henry always seems to enjoy it" Hook furrowed his brow in thought

"What? You have never had an ice cream? Hook, you have never lived" He grinned widely at the Pirate as he made his was to the door, "You are not going to be disappointed, be back in a while"

He took out his cell, he figured that it would be easier to call Granny and make his order so that it was ready to go when he got there, strictly speaking it wasn't something that they normally did but Granny had insisted that she wanted to help so he would take advantage of her kindness. He hoped that she could help with the ice cream too, maybe she'd have a cool box that he could borrow. He wanted Hook to enjoy the ice cream, the man deserved something good in his life and right now an ice cream from Granny's would do just fine.


	29. Chapter 29

**WOW... you guys really brought the reviews with that last chapter, thank you so much, you guys rock :)**

 **Hook gets himself into a tricky spot in this chapter, will the Pirate ever learn to just ask for help? I hope not lol.**

Killian struggled to raise the bed slightly, now that he was awake he didn't feel much like going back to sleep. He had been lying for some time since David left but Emma had still not woken and he was getting a stiff back from the angel of the bed. As he started moving it was hard to believe that just a few hours ago he had felt so bad with how he was feeling now, there was still a small niggling pain in his head but it was nothing compared to the discomfort he had already been dealing with. If he was being honest he was actually feeling quite good if you discounted the pain in his chest, shoulder and arm that was.

The bed stopped and he looked out into the dark room wishing that he could see a bit better, he had finally got his eyesight back and it was too damn dark to see anything. He sighed loudly, there was nothing to do other than lie and think and that was not really an option that he was open too right now.

He had been really excited about finally getting out of his bed but now he was stuck again, Gods this was worse than torture. He had a sudden idea. He tugged his blankets back and managed to free his legs from the sheet that seemed to want to cling on for dear life. His dark pajama pants stood out against the white sheet making it easy to see himself in the dim light.

Killian pulled in a deep breath and sat himself up, he was grateful for the pain medication pulsing through his veins as he twisted to the side letting his left leg slide over the side of the bed first followed by the right, he grinned to himself, he could do this, his legs were not injured after all, there was no reason why he couldn't walk... in theory! Moving himself forward proved to be a bit more difficult but he managed to slowly scoot himself towards the edge. All he had to do now was move slightly further and his feet would fall to the ground then he would be free. His chest hurt but he ignored it, something always hurt so he paid it no mind.

He mentally counted to three in his head before he moved, as his right foot touched the cold tiles he couldn't hide his smile. He lent heavily on his right hand as his left one hung loosely by his side. Right, one foot down, now for the other. With one final push his other foot hit the tiles next to the other one. He gave a shiver as the cold traveled through his body, now that he was out from under the covers the room felt chilly against his bare top half but this was not going to stop him.

He gave a tentative step and managed to turn himself around so that he was facing the bed, he dragged in a few breaths, since when did such a basic task take so much effort? Now that he was standing he really didn't know what else to do, he hadn't thought that far ahead. But then he smirked, while he was up he may as well use the bathroom, they had removed all his lines the day before and he had been forced to use one of those damn bedpans, this was a much better plan.

He shuffled sideways towards the end of the bed then around to the other side, he could see Emma now, she was sleeping on the cot in the dim light but he couldn't get distracted, now that the thought had entered his head he really needed to pee. He turned himself back around so that his back was to the bed, the wall was literally about four steps away so he pulled in a deep breath and stepped out into the room unsupported for the first time, he gave a wobble about half way across but another two steps and he was there.

He lent face first against the painted surface as he tried to gather himself for the next part but another shiver ran through him and he physically juddered with it, what the hell? It surely couldn't be that cold in the room! He turned himself around again and lent his back on the wall, glancing to his left, the door to the bathroom was just a couple of paces away but if he tried to walk straight there his bad left side would be to the wall and he would not be able to lean on it so instead he shuffled sideways keeping his back and right arm firmly pressed into the cool surface but he soon discovered an issue, he had to walk around the door that opened out into the room to get where he now desperately needed to go. This had seemed like such a good plan at the time but now he was beginning to regret his hasty decision.

Pull yourself together man, it's just a door. Twisting again so that he was facing the door he gripped hold of the door handle for a bit of stability as he continued to shuffle his feet sideways. EVENTUALLY he managed to get around the obstacle and as he stood clinging on to the door frame a minute later he suddenly realized there was another issue, the bathroom was pitch black and he had no idea where the thing was to turn on the light. He squinted into the darkness and could JUST make out the toilet in the corner, it was close enough that he was confident that he could make it. There was a hand rail on the wall which made things much easier as he managed to take the remaining steps towards his goal.

He had made it, he grinned widely until he realized his final issue. He would need to stand unaided to do this, he couldn't hold on AND pee, Gods, his life was so difficult, why could he not even do such a simple thing for himself?

After several minutes of deliberation he finally just had to go for it, he managed to position himself so that he could gently rest his left arm on the sink next to the toilet, it was awkward but it helped him balance and he finally managed to relieved himself before he had embarrassed himself. He knocked the toilet lid down and flushed before dropping down to sit with a thump on the porcelain throne. He was too tired, he hadn't thought this through when he had set off, he didn't have the energy to do anything else but sit and shiver. He would just have to wait on someone finding him here, where upon he had no doubt that he would be shouted at. He just hoped it was Emma and not David that found him. Suddenly he really wanted to get back to bed before David returned, the Prince would not let this go if he knew what he had done, there was no other option here, he needed help.

"SWAN" he yelled loudly, the noise echoing of the tiles and making him cringe a little at the pulse of pain in his own head.

He waited but still nothing, Gods, he was stuck sitting on the toilet! Could things get any worse?

"Please don't leave me here, David will NEVER let me live this down" he muttered to himself, he had stopped shouting now, there was no point Emma was sleeping too soundly, he was simply pleading the universe to help him for once in his life.

Suddenly he was blinded, a streak of agony shot through his brain when the light came on, his face blushed red at the pitch of the scream that was wrenched from his mouth as the light hit his retinas but he was relieved seconds later when it was turned back off, thank the stars above for small mercies but he was left breathing harshly through gritted teeth as the remaining pain ebbed away.

"Hook?" Henry's voice sounded by his side, thank the heavens

"Henry, you have to help me get back to bed before your Grandfather returns, he would skin me alive if he found out that I got here by myself but couldn't get back" he grit out gripping Henry's arm desperatley.

He creaked an eye open into the dim light to see Henry's worried face staring at him before the boy turned to look towards the door. Killian gave another involuntary shiver against the cold, he REALLY wanted to go back to bed now, this was not how this had played out in his head.

"Too late" an all too familiar voice sounded from the other room.

David, of course it would be David, the universe hated him!

"Sorry" Henry sympathized "I came back in with Grandpa and Grandma's here too"

Great, he was about to get double the telling off but much to his surprise when Mary-Margaret came in she didn't yell, in fact she was just concerned that he was alright.

"Hook, what are you doing in here?"

"I had to, you know." he nodded down to where he was sitting before carrying on "Emma was sleeping and I didn't want to disturb her, I made it here fine but I was too tired to make it back to my bed." it was a half truth and he knew it

"Come on, let's get you back then. Can you stand or do you need help?"

"A hand would be appreciated, thank you Milady"

"Hook, drop the formalities, my name is Mary-Margaret" she chastised him but the words were harsher than her tone.

"Sorry, just habit" he apologized with a smile.

He gave another shiver, it literally went through him from top to toe and damn it if Mary-Margaret didn't have her hand on him at the time, if she hadn't he probably would have gotten away with it in the dim light.

"Are you cold?" she asked with concern before moving her hand to his forehead. "You feel a little chilled but not too bad"

"I just need to be back under my blankets and I will be just fine" he muttered but as if on cue goosebumps rose across his skin and Mary-Margaret rubbed his arm as if to try and put some heat back into him.

"Come on, let's get you up. Henry, a hand please" she said turning to the boy.

They moved slowly but steadily back towards the bed, by the time they had wrestled him back under his covers his teeth were chattering, what was going on? Someone had turned on the small lamp above his bed and the soft glow was enough to light up the the dark room.

"I'm going to get a nurse" David's voice was full of concern.

They returned a few minutes later, Mary-Margaret had pulled his covers up around his shoulders and had also placed her large coat on top of them to try and heat him up a bit quicker. Emma started to stir on her bed just as the nurse started talking to him, he could just make her out asking her Father what was going on but the nurse demanded his attention.

"You finished with the great escape attempt?" she asked with a smirk

"Aye, for now" he tried to grin but his teeth were still chattering.

"We'll get you warmed up with some heating pads, unfortunately this is just another side effect of your head injury. Your body is struggling to regulate temperature, you will need to make sure not to get too cold over the next few weeks, hopefully it is something that will rectify itself with time but we will just have to wait and see. I would suggest that from now on if you are venturing to the washroom make sure there is someone to assist you and wear the robe that has been provided. Once your sutures have been removed the day after tomorrow we'll get you into your pajama top too" she removed Mary-Margaret's coat from the bed and placed some of the heating pads carefully on his chest before pulling his blankets back up around his shoulders.

"Thank you" he mumbled as she left then sighed, he couldn't even maintain his own temperature, this got worse by the minute.

"What were you thinking?" Emma whispered harshly the minute she was at his side, her tone was too much for him to deal with. He felt bad enough without her making him feel worse but her next words just made him despair even more.

"You could have fallen and really hurt yourself"

"Sorry " he mumbled, she was right of course but he really wasn't in the mood to be yelled at, his life was just too hard right now, would it ever get any better?

"Emma, I think he knows that what he did was stupid. Give him a break, he can't help being an idiot" David said with a wide grin

Killian couldn't help it, the tension was broken he gave a laugh. He would never have thought that it would be David that would have his back but he did even if it came with a back handed dig. He'd take it. He gave a thankful look towards the Prince who winked back.

"Anyway, I brought lunch. Who's hungry?" David asked clapping his hands together before picking up the bags full of food.

Killian tugged on Emma's sleeve just as she was about to stand up from the edge of his bed.

"I really am sorry Love" he couldn't quite look her in the eye, in his mind he had not spared a thought of what it would have done to Emma if he had indeed fallen.

"Hey, it's OK. Dad's right... you are an idiot" she grinned widely at him

"Hey!" he laughed back

"What? It's true you are an idiot BUT you are MY idiot" she added before leaning over and planting a kiss on his lips. "Now where's my food, there better be onion rings in that bag"


	30. Chapter 30

**Not long now until Hook gets to go home, just a few more days and then he'll be free.**

 **You guys really make me smile with your reviews, they really do encourage me to carry on.**

 **I'm looking for suggestions for another story, if anyone has any crazy ideas send them my way, you never know I may just turn them into my next fic although I do have an idea kicking about in my crazy brain already. I am really enjoying writing these stories so I am open to all requests lol**

David wasn't stupid he knew that Hook was getting down about things he could see it in his face so he had headed Emma's rant off before it had really got started, he'd have a quiet word later. Yes, Hook had been an idiot for trying to go to the washroom by himself but she had to remember that he was not used to being cooped up in bed all day. Hook had spent hundreds of years just getting on with life the best he could no matter what and now the Pirate suddenly found himself being incapable of doing simple things for himself, it must be a bitter pill to swallow.

Emma had kissed her Pirate then got up from the edge of the bed and headed over to where he stood. David quickly grabbed Hook's pasta and headed over to the bed giving his Daughter a knowing look as he went, he wanted to talk to the Pirate by himself. He could tell that Hook was tired but he needed to eat, he also needed a good talking too and David guessed that Hook may enjoy one more than the other.

"Here" he pulled the lid of the container off and placed the food on the table across Hook's bed before wheeling it into position. "Eat" he added handing him a plastic fork

"Thanks Mate" Hook replied as he gave the food a hard stare.

David glanced over to Emma who was tucking into her lunch and laughing with Henry but also keeping an eye on the bed.

"Look, I'm not saying that what you did wasn't stupid but I get it, you needed to see if you could do it by yourself. Emma was just worried about you."

"Aye" was all Hook replied as he dragged the fork through his meal without much enthusiasm.

"Hook" the man looked up at him "This will get better, you will be back to getting yourself into trouble before you know it... well more trouble than in here" he added with a laugh.

"I hope you are right, I just feel so useless. I can't seem to do anything right no matter what I do. It is either Emma stopping me or my own stupid body not letting me" he gave a sigh and dropped the fork onto the table pushing the pasta away.

"Nope, sorry. I'm not coming to your pity party." David stepped back from the bed as the Pirate gave him a surprised look "You have JUST had major surgery, you are doing way better than Whale thought you would be by this point, you just got your eyesight back yet you are still lying there feeling sorry for yourself. Well I'm not joining in. YOU brought back Ursula's happy ending Hook, you did that. You could have easily just let us believe that she deserved our hate but you didn't. You know what myself and Mary-Margaret are trying to deal with but do you see us giving up? No... you are a hero now whether you like it or not and us hero types don't get to sit around and feel sorry for ourselves, we just fight harder to prove to the world that we can keep going and that nothing will stop us from doing the right thing. So what are you going to do now? Are you going to take one day at a time and appreciate the progress you have made or are you going to dwell on the things you can't do? It's up to you Killian, it's your choice"

He wanted to burst out laughing at the shocked look on the Pirate's face as he used his given name, yeah, he thought that using that would have more effect. He gave Hook one more questioning look then turned and walked away not looking back.

He stood on the other side of the room and checked in the cool bag, the ice cream had been packed with ice to keep it cold and he just hoped that the Pirate would get it. There was no way he was giving it to him if he didn't eat his meal first, he needed him to get out of the mindset that he'd got himself into. He watched him out of the corner of his eye, Hook's brow was furrowed deeply in thought. Suddenly he seemed to make a decision in his head, he reached forward and picked up the fork, sighed deeply then began to slowly eat. David grinned widely to himself as Emma gave him a smile then walked away with her onion rings in her hand towards the bed followed by a happy Henry.

"What are you grinning at?" Snow asked

"Ice cream, I always grin when ice cream is on the cards." he laughed and she grinned right back at him.

"You are such a child" she giggled

"Well you won't want any then will you?" he chuckled

"I didn't say that" she answered with a smirk as she too made her way over to the bed.

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Killian knew that David was right as he looked at the people who were at his bedside, he had been so focused on what he couldn't do and what he had lost that he hadn't appreciated what he had right in front of him. He could see and it was amazing, that in itself was enough. He had lain here just a few days ago wishing that he could and now that his wish had come true he had immediately started longing for something else instead of relishing in the gift he had been given. Emma looked at him and he gave her a wide grin before shoveling another mouthful of food down his throat, the pasta was good.

"Slow down" she laughed

"Sorry Love, hungry. I didn't exactly get to keep a hold of my last meal for very long before it ended up on the floor if I remember correctly"

"Ewwww... Killian, trying to eat here" Henry pulled a disgusted face as he looked down at his half eaten sandwich

"Sorry Lad" he laughed

"Well unless you want a repeat of that I suggest you slow down and take your time" Emma shot back.

She was doing it again but he didn't care, he now realized that she wasn't trying to control him she was merely looking out for his best interests. He swallowed the food in his mouth and made a conscious effort to slow down. By the time he had finished his meal he was in desperate need of a nap, the pasta sat heavily in his stomach and he could feel his eyes growing heavy but the Prince had promised him ice cream and he was not going to miss it, he briefly wondered if it too had magical healing properties like that jello stuff they kept insisting on leaving for him, when would they get the message that he was NOT going to eat it?

Emma cleared the empty container and fork away from in front of him but he was too busy watching what David was doing as the Prince dug into a plastic box that seemed to be filled with melting ice.

"You look like you're about to crick your neck you're craning so much" Henry laughed by his side and drew his attention back to the bedside again "You'll not be disappointed, I promise"

Henry grinned at Killian and raised a knowing brow as David walked across the room and placed a bowl down in front of him.

"Here we have a fine selection of Granny's best ice cream, you will find before you strawberry, chocolate and some raspberry ripple all covered with a generous dash of sprinkles. Oh and that thing there is a rolled wafer" David gave a bow like he was a waiter then turned and walked away.

Killian's eyes fell back onto the ice cream in front of him.

"What do I try first Lad?" he asked excitedly, he didn't care that he was acting like a child, he was feeling happy so to hell with it.

"Chocolate, always chocolate" Henry grinned back, he seemed just as excited as Killian was.

He stuck the spoon into the brown scoop assuming that this would indeed be the chocolate flavor and lifted it to his mouth, he hesitated for a split second to meet Henry's eyes, the boy gave him a nod of encouragement and finally he shoved the spoon in.

The flavor was intense, creamy and delicious. His eyes went wide in surprise, why had no one told him about this before? He dug his spoon into the pink scoop desperate to see what that one tasted like too and he wasn't disappointed as the sweetness hit his tongue.

"Gods, this is the most delicious thing I have ever tasted" he breathed out "Swan, why have we not sampled this before?"

"I just never thought about it, I'm not a huge fan of ice cream especially after the whole Ingrid thing" she said with a shrug.

He turned back to his bowl and decided that he didn't care if this ice cream was cursed, he would die happy. He stuck the spoon back in and carried on like a man possessed but after the fourth mouthful a searing pain shot across his head. He gasped as the spoon dropped from his hand.

"What?" Emma's worried voice was at his side in a second

"Head" he gasped out but the pain was ebbing away, what the hell had that been. He opened his eyes to see Henry and Emma grinning. "It is not funny" why were they laughing at him, he had a serious head injury, it was not to be laughed at.

"BRAIN FREEZE" Emma and Henry yelled out together.

"What are you two talking about?" he said bringing his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose

"If you eat ice cream too quickly it can give you brain freeze." Emma added with a chuckle.

Killian pushed the remaining lumps of ice cream around in the bowl "You could have warned me" he griped

"Not everyone gets it, I never even thought about it" she said with a sad smile "Sorry"

"It's alright Love. It was nice while it lasted" he pushed the bowl away

"You can still eat it Hook, it won't actually freeze your brain, just slow down a bit, enjoy each mouthful before you shove more in there" she said with a warm smile.

"Truly" he asked in surprise

"Yeah, I promise"

He picked up the spoon again and continued to eat but he was being careful not to go too quickly, who knew that food could fight back against being eaten too fast?

By the time he had finally finished there was no hiding it anymore, his eyes kept closing by themselves. He was exhausted but this time he didn't fight it, he knew that when he awoke there would be more challenges for him to overcome but now he was looking forward to them. He would take each one in his stride and he would overcome them one by one.

Emma pushed the table back to the bottom of the bed and scooted herself onto the edge of his bed. She took up his hand and squeezed his fingers lovingly.

"Go to sleep, I'm going to go and talk to Whale about getting you up on your feet again later. If you are that keen to do it I say why not, as long as you are completely honest with me and let me know if you are not up to it, I don't want you hurting yourself."

"I promise" he gave her his most honest look "Thank you Love, for everything"

"We are in this together, you and me." she said quietly

"And ME" Henry's voice called out

"and US" David's voice joined in

Killian laughed, he really had struck gold with these people and he wouldn't trade it was all the treasure in all the realms.

True to Emma's word later that afternoon after he had rested he was helped from the bed once more but this time there was a team of nurses to help him. They got him into a wheelchair and he was pushed through the corridors to another room where they worked him hard, he was determined to do what he could but in the end he kept his promise to Emma when he gasped out that he had done enough.

His legs were shaking by the time he was lowered back into the wheelchair but he was happy, he had managed to walk by himself and that was enough. He would be brought back tomorrow and the day after that and IF he continued to improve the day after that he was going to be discharged. He couldn't believe it, he was going to be able to leave.

He was getting his sutures out in less than forty eight hours and he would FINALLY be allowed to shower, that in itself was something that he was looking forward to. His hair was a mess, there was not a lot he could do about the part that they had shaved off but the rest of it was just a matted mess, still not fully recovered from his dip in the sea. Bed baths just did not live up to all the hype, he would much rather wash himself thank you very much.

He was tired but happy when he laid back on his pillows twenty minutes later, David brought in more food that Granny had insisted on sending then they all sat and chatted about nothing in particular but it was nice, it was easy and he was happy. That was how the day ended, well for him at least as he slipped into sleep surrounded by his friends, finally ready to face the future whatever it would be.


	31. Chapter 31

**So a few of you are suggesting kidnapping for my next fic. I could work with that but might mix it up a bit, I've seen plenty where it is Hook and Emma but don't think I've seen any where it is Hook hurt and David trying to keep him alive while the girls are looking for them with Robin's help? Maybe. Just a thought, what do you think?**

Hook sat grinning like the Cheshire Cat as Whale got his things ready, he was about to get his stitches removed and he was excited. He had been rambling on all morning, a huge ball of nervous energy and it was contagious as the butterflies dances in Emma's stomach. This was the final step to him going home, he was getting to leave in the morning and Emma could not wait to get him back to the loft.

"Right, we'll remove the ones in your arm first shall we" Whale said walking around the bed.

Emma watched as whale lifted Hook's arm up and placed a green sheet across his front before laying his arm back down.

"Now this shouldn't hurt but it will feel strange, it might be quite tricky as I try to work around the metal but I need you to hold as still as possible, I do not want to bump the pins. THAT would hurt."

Whale got to work and Emma looked at Hook's face as he watched the Doctor, he had stopped grinning and now wore quite a worried look across his features. He kept his eyes locked on his own arm for a few minutes but suddenly he lost all the color in his face and Emma watched in horror as he turned almost gray in an instant, his eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped to the side, what the hell?

"HOOK" she yelled out startling Whale into action.

The Doctor rushed around, he was quick to lower the bed so that Hook was lying flat before dashing off to the cupboard and bringing back a few pillows.

"Help me raise his feet" he said meeting Emma's eyes

"What's wrong?" She was so worried, Hook had broken out in a sweat and his breathing had become quite choppy

"It's something we call a vasovagal response... essentially he's fainted. He'll be fine in a minute once his blood pressure comes back up"

Emma sighed in relief as she lifted Hook's feet and Whale placed the pillows underneath. So the fearless Captain Hook had just fainted at the sight of getting his stitches out, how her Pirate had survived this long she had no idea.

Hook moaned and she was at his side in a second.

"Swan?" he still couldn't seem to control his eyelids as she watched them flutter then close again.

"You had a bad reaction to the stitches coming out, just lie still, you'll be OK in a minute" she would save him the embarrassment... for now!

"Keep him distracted while I finish his arm, if he doesn't improve in the next couple of minutes I'll give him a light sedative to remove the ones in his chest and head"

Emma sat on the edge of the bed and took Hook's hand in her's again, he was pretty much still out of it and she watched as his chest puffed up and down as he tried to get his breathing back under control.

"Hey, it's OK, take some deep breaths. It will be over soon. Come on, open your eyes, look at me" she pleaded.

He peeked his eyes open and met hers, he looked so different from just a few minutes ago. He looked ill, his color was terrible and right now he looked more like a corpse that her Pirate. Her own heart thudded in her chest, after everything that he had gone through she thought that he was over the worst but this was just awful to watch.

"Doc, I've never seen anyone react like this when they faint." she said as Hook's eyes fluttered once more.

"It's not that common but not unheard of. How's he doing?"

"Not good, he looks like a corpse"

"Hang on" Whale grit out as he pulled out the last stitch.

He came back to the bed a second later and injected something into Hook's arm, it took literally seconds for it to take effect and she watched as the Pirate finally relaxed back on to his pillows.

"He should be out for about half an hour or so and hopefully he should feel better when he comes back round but don't be surprised if he feels the effects of the attack for a few hours, it's quite common. I'll get on with the rest of these stitches"

Emma puffed out a huge sigh as Whale got to work, she got back off the bed and sat on the chair instead but still kept hold of Hook's hand, she wasn't willing to let him go through this by himself even if he wasn't aware of what was going on.

Twenty minutes later and Whale was just finishing up with Hook's head as the door pushed open and David's head popped in.

"Is it OK to come in? I thought you'd be finished by now!"

"Yeah, I'm done" Whale beckoned him into the room "and we would have been but we had a slight set back"

Emma watched as her Dad's eyes fell on the Hook, and after a few seconds he looked up and gave her a concerned look.

"Bad reaction to something that he was given" she said giving Whale a pointed look and he just smirked, he better keep his mouth shut, Emma did not want her Dad having anything else to tease Hook about.

As if on cue Hook stirred on the bed, his hand coming up to the side of his head where the stitches had been moments before.

"Swan, what's going on? " he blinked his eyes a few times and he wore a confused look on his face.

"I'm going to go back to the basement" Whale said "You can raise the bed back up when he's ready"

"Thanks Victor" Emma made sure to meet his eyes, he had kept her secret and she was grateful.

When Emma turned back to the bed her Dad was helping Hook to raise it so that he was sitting up. The Pirate's color was much better but he still looked quite pale.

"You alright?" David asked

"Aye Mate, I don't really know what happened if I am being honest. One minute I was sitting here and the next I remember I was looking up at the ceiling tiles"

"Strange, I wonder what caused that" David raised a brow in question

"Whale said it could have been a reaction to the local" Emma added quickly knowing that Hook wouldn't know what that was and her Dad wouldn't question it. "You want something to drink?"

"Aye love, my mouth feels drier than the sands of Agrabah" Hook sat himself up a bit straighter and took the cup of water that she handed him drinking it down quickly.

"So how does it feel to be stitch free?" David asked with a grin

Hook gave a sudden look of shock like he had forgotten why Whale had been there then looked down at himself, the scar that ran down his front looked good. There were little red spots that had started to scab over already where the sutures had been but the main scar while still very red looked like it was healing well. He brought his hand up cautiously and ran his fingers over it wincing a bit when he obviously pressed too hard.

"Don't do that you idiot, you still have broken ribs in there remember" her Dad chastised

"I am hardly likely to forget, they make themselves known every time I move" Hook bit back

He lifted his hand back to the side of his head and ran his fingers over the short stubble that had once been his pride and joy. He gave a sigh and looked to Emma.

"Can I have my shower now please Love, I am in desperate need of a good wash and my hair has never looked this bad in all my days"

"I think we should maybe go for a bath instead, I'm not sure you'll be able to stand long enough" she paused knowing that the next part was going to be awkward, she gave a worried look.

"What is it Love? A bath will be just fine, why are you looking so worried?"

"Because I'm going to need a hand to get you in there" she replied glancing at her Dad

To her utter surprise Hook chuckled, he gripped her hand tightly in his as he spoke.

"If I remember rightly it is nothing that the Prince has not seen before and right now I couldn't care if it was the Crocodile himself helping me into that bath, I feel disgusting"

"Hey, don't I get a say in this?" David threw in

"No" the both chimed back

Her Dad rolled his eyes and walked toward the bathroom but he turned and gave a smirk as he went.

"I'll be sure to use lots of bubble bath, you'll be smelling like roses in no time" he said with a laugh as he walked through the door.

"He wouldn't... Would he?" Hook looked at her with worried eyes

"No" she scoffed "Of course not, he's kidding" she hoped she was right otherwise Hook would not be happy.

"NO I'M NOT" her Dad yelled from the bathroom

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An hour later Hook lay sleeping in his bed, his face was flushed from the effort and David was exhausted, who knew bathing a grown man could take so much out of you? That was a sentence that he never thought that he would ask himself!

It would be easier once Hook could stand by himself or at least Emma could join him in the shower, yeah, yet another image he didn't need in his head but it was true, it would be easier back at the loft.

"What time is he getting out of here tomorrow?" he asked as he thought of home

"Early morning I think, I need to pack up his stuff too but right now I just can't motivate myself to move" she gave a chuckle.

"I'll do it in a few minutes, I just need a seat first" he laughed back "Do you think he'll forgive me?"

"For what?" Emma furrowed her brow in confusion

"The Lavender bubble bath... hey, I didn't use the rose one, he can't complain!" he gave a hearty laugh at this and Emma joined in

"I'm sure he'll get over it, he just seemed happy to be able to wash" she looked lovingly at the man in the bed.

David looked over too, Hook's hair had gone all fluffy, yeah he was really rocking the gruesome Pirate look right now. David chuckled to himself.

"What?" Emma asked him curiously

"He's gonna have a fit when he sees his hair"

"Yeah he is" she laughed back

The room fell into a comfortable silence and David sighed and got to his feet to start packing the Pirate's thing, not that he had much to gather but Emma seemed to have collected half of her closet here, how she had managed it he had no idea. He grabbed the holdall and started folding just as the door opened again and Mary-Margaret walked in holding Neal in one arm and a newspaper in the other.

"It's in" she said quickly.

David dropped the shirt in his hand and rushed forward to meet his wife. The day after Whale's attack on Hook the Daily Mirror had ran the story complete with pictures. He took the newspaper from Mary-Margaret's hand and moved to the table over the end of the Pirate's bed and spread it out.

There on the front page was an article, the headline read "Heartless Whale harpooned by unknowing Savior", these headlines were getting worse. David quickly read through it, basically it was as they thought, someone had told the paper that Whale did not have his heart at the time of the attack but it failed to mention who did, convenient, it went on to say how the unknowing Savior had only reacted in defense of her family and Whale had become the unfortunate victim of the circumstances.

"Great, now I have to act all sorry for killing a man that is not dead" Emma huffed out

"Well I better get to work, I need to speak to Whale" David said folding the newspaper back up and tucking it under his arm

"Why?" Emma asked

"I need to know what his favorite flowers are. I have a funeral to arrange" he replied with a grin before waltzing out the door.

This would be a good way of showing Emma's sorrow publicly, if Gold believed that she was full of regret they would be one step closer to making him believe that his Daughter was on the path to darkness, it would keep the Dark One from making any more moves against his family... he hoped.


	32. Chapter 32

**Yay. Hook gets to leave the hospital. Can he stay out of trouble for more than five minutes? Of course not...**

"Would you just slow down" Emma stood behind Hook and clamped her hand on his shoulder as she pulled him back down into the chair next to the bed.

"Swan I am perfectly capable of walking myself to the door and even if I wasn't I'd damn well crawl... I want out of here as soon as possible" he twisted around to look at her with a look of frustration.

"I know you do but you need to take it easy, you'll get plenty of chance to practice your walking skills climbing all those stairs to the loft!"

"Ah, I had not thought of that... something to look forward too then" he rolled his eyes and sighed deeply

"You'll be fine, we'll just take it one step at a time." she squeezed his shoulder again to give him encouragement.

"Aye Love... one step at a time" he mimicked as his hand came up and fell onto her's.

The door opened and David backed in with a wheelchair in tow.

"You ready to go?" he grinned at Hook

"Aye Mate"

"Well, your carriage awaits" David gave a mock bow then chuckled as Hook threw him a dirty look.

"Very amusing, I am sure that you would not find this as funny if it were you sitting here" the Pirate complained loudly as he pulled himself to his feet.

"Of course not but I'd be making much more noise about it too, I'm a terrible patient" he clapped Hook on the shoulder as Emma helped him settle down causing the Pirate to wince.

"Dad, can we at least get him out of here before adding any more injuries, be careful would you?" She crouched down in front of Hook as he pulled in a few deep breaths.

"I am quite alright Swan, can we just go please? Henry has promised to show me how to work his X cube. He assures me that we can battle monsters from the luxury of the couch" Hook grinned at her and his eyes twinkled, he really was an idiot

"It's an Xbox" David corrected "and I am totally going to kick your butt on it. Now, are we all done getting sympathy for no reason? Good, let's go"

Emma laughed to herself, those two were going to be the end of her. She grabbed the last bag from the bed then followed her Dad out the door not even giving the room a second glance.

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David threw the wheelchair into the back of the truck along with the bags before heading around and climbing in the cab.

"I just need to make a quick stop at the funeral director's office on the way home. Whale's "funeral" is tomorrow afternoon and I need to sign off some paperwork as Sheriff."

"Great, well don't think I'm coming in there. This is all just so stupid, I don't understand how Gold thinks he can turn me dark. I am the product of true love. You don't get much lighter than that, right?" Emma huffed out

David gave a nervous laugh but nodded anyway, Emma did not need to know what he was thinking right now but when he met Hook's eyes a split second later he could see that the Pirate knew exactly what was on his mind.

"Swan you are supposed to be remorseful not irate, calm yourself. I will remain here with you until your Father had concluded his business but I think that any plan that keeps the Crocodile from causing anymore issues for you or your family is a good one. Just play along, what harm can it do?"

Emma crossed her arms and sighed again "Fine." then she deadpanned "Oh, I am so upset that I killed the good Doctor when he didn't deserve it"

"Very amusing Swan. Are you or are you not the one that keeps telling me to be more positive? I feel that you may need to listen to your own advise Princess"

"Don't call me Princess, Hook"

"Well stop acting like one then" he shot back in irritation

David actually bit his bottom lip to try and stop the laughter that was threatening to escape him at the look of shock on Emma's face. She screwed her eyes up at the Pirate but said nothing, oh he was in trouble now, he was getting the silent treatment.

David pulled the truck to a stop and threw it into park before opening the door and stepping out, he stood with the door in his hand and gave the two still inside a look.

"You two behave yourselves now, I will as quick as I can" he said raising an eyebrow as he mocked them

Hook grinned but Emma pursed her lips and folded her arms tighter turning to look out the other window.

"We'll be fine Mate, now comes the fun part"

"What?" David said in confusion

"The best bit of having an argument, the making up part" he raised a brow high on his head and gave a chuckle

David shook his head in despair and slammed the door shut. He headed into the offices to sort out Whale's fake funeral and just hoped that when he got back to the truck Hook was still alive, he was really pushing his luck with Emma in the mood she was in. He wished that he could make her understand that the danger of her turning dark was very real but he couldn't do that without telling her why and right now he was not willing to do that.

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Killian tried to shift his position slightly, the seat in the truck was very straight backed and it was straining his sore ribs. Emma eyed him curiously but he just grinned at her widely and she turned away again to stare back out the window. He was in the middle of the bench seat and found that he was limited to staring out the front window which he had no problem with, the bright sunshine looked so inviting after weeks of lying about not being able to do anything.

He people watched for a few seconds until he realized one of the figures that was approaching the vessel they were sitting in was Belle, she was walking with her head in a book as usual and had not noticed them sitting in the truck. He quickly unbuckled himself, scooted to his left towards the door and threw it open hauling himself out. He could hear Emma's cries from inside but he didn't care he wanted to talk to Belle, he had missed her company.

"You will walk yourself straight into trouble one of these days walking with your head in a book" he called out as he held tightly to the door to keep him upright.

Belle looked up to see who had spoken and her face instantly morphed into one of pure joy. She ran forward and threw her arms around his neck pulling him into a tight hug.

"KILLIAN!" she cried

He held his breath, trying not to groan as his chest flared in protest but a noise escaped him anyway and Belle instantly let go.

"Oh my Gosh, I am so sorry. Are you alright?"

"I am just fine. It is good to see you" he finished with a wince but he managed to give a genuine smile and a laugh.

Emma came around the front of the truck and gave Belle a warm smile but the librarian's own smile faltered as she looked upon Swan's face.

"Emma" she gave a sad smile and held her arms out stepping into another hug "I heard about Whale. You know it's not your fault, right? You had no way of knowing that he was not in control of his own actions, I mean he was always a little strange so, you know anything could have been possible."

Emma rolled her eyes over Belle's shoulder and Killian grinned at her but it fell from his face in an instant as Belle stepped back from the hug and faced him again.

"It's so good to see you again" her eyes glimmered with unshead tears and Killian suddenly found himself quite emotional too, he needed to change the subject. He glanced across the road at Granny's and had an idea.

He slammed the truck door closed and hobbled forward keeping his hand on the hood as he went.

"Who wants breakfast?" he asked raising an eyebrow

He expected Emma to protest but to his surprise she gave gave a resigned smile and came around to meet him, she linked her arm in his before motioning for him to start walking.

"Come on then. I'll let Dad know and he can join us when he's done."

"I'm in" Belle beamed "I've missed this"

They moved at a snails pace across the street towards Granny's and by the time Killian was lowering himself into the closest booth he was beginning to wonder if he should have used the wheelchair but he pushed that thought aside when Ruby approached with a welcoming smile.

"Good to see you guys" she greeted

They ordered and fell into easy conversation, David joined them a few minutes later and it was good. The diner was getting quite busy now and many people gave him a smile, a few gave Emma a wide berth but Killian felt relaxed and happy for the first time in a very long while.

He tugged at his neckline, Swan had him wearing ridiculous clothing. She had insisted that he wear a sweatshirt under his new jacket that she had somehow managed to procure even though she had not left his side for weeks. He was getting quite hot wearing it and he didn't like how it clung to him, he would be happy to lose the damn thing as soon as they got home.

He blew across his face trying to subtly cool himself down but Emma was onto him, she must have eyes in the back of her head!

"You want that jacket off?"

"Aye Love, I am a tad hot"

She helped him out of it and threw it on the coat stand by the door before sitting back down with a grin. Her mood seemed to have improved but Killian was aware that she was supposed to be feeling down about Whale so when Belle excused herself to pay her bill he quickly whispered in her ear.

"Remember your act Swan, don't look too happy. It is the Doctor's funeral tomorrow after all." he was being genuine and she knew it, he could tell when he leant back and she gave him a slight nod in agreement.

Belle walked back over to their table to grab her purse and Killian saw the opportunity to raise the subject.

"Will we see you at Whale's funeral?" he asked solemnly

"Of course" she replied before glancing around the room quickly then lowering her voice "It was Rumple wasn't it? That was controlling Whale I mean."

"Aye Love, him and that Cruella woman. If Emma had not reacted when she did I would not be here"

"I'm just sorry that it happened" Emma added sadly "He was a good Doctor"

"Yes, he was" Belled agreed

Emma looked flustered for a second before composing herself, she was really selling this.

"It's just that he's done so much for us over the last few weeks. I can't believe that I..." and damnit if there were not tears in her eyes.

"Emma, nobody blames you." Belle reached forward and gripped Swan's hand in hers

"I do, I should have seen it, I should have been able to control my magic but it just happened" she sighed out

"Come on Love, don't think too much on it now." Killian made a show of putting an arm around her and pulling her to his side where she slumped against him being careful not to hurt him.

"I have to go but we should do this again, drop by the shop anytime, it would be good to see you" she smiled at Killian and he smiled back, he would definitely take her up on that, he had a feeling he'd be bored before too long.

As the door closed behind Belle David whispered in a low tone.

"Great acting skills by the way, where did you learn that?"

"When I was a bail bonds person I had to act in a lot of situations. I guess I got quite good at it"

"I see you two made up anyway" David said giving them a look as he raised his coffee cup up to his mouth.

"We've not got to that part yet" Killian said with a cheeky grin

"And we're not going to anytime soon in that tiny little loft with my parents and Son living with us" Emma said with a smirk.

"Gods, I never thought of that" Killian's head fell back against the seat and he let out a groan.

David laughed loudly around his mouthful then put his cup down with a thump as he swallowed.

"Right, as much as this has been nice we still need to get you up all those stairs and Mary-Margaret and Henry will be wondering where we are" As if on cue his phone rang "See" he said getting up and walking to the counter to pay.

"I'll go grab the wheelchair from the truck then we can go, no arguments. I want to get there sometime this century"

He just laughed as she walked to the door, he was getting tired now but he was happy that they had stopped, it had been good to catch up with Belle. Who would have thought that they would end up friends after all he had done to her?

David was talking in hushed tones on his phone over by the door, Killian guessed he'd just filled Mary-Margaret in on the latest news and she wasn't happy about it. He figured that he may as well use the washroom before they set off so pulled himself to his feet, David gave him a curious look but when he pointed to his destination the Prince just gave him a thumbs up and carried on.

Killian managed to walk most of the way without hanging onto anything but as he stepped through the final doorway into the small corridor at the back of the diner he had to stop and catch his breath. He closed his eyes and pulled in a couple of deeper breaths, he had to keep reminding himself to do it, it was so much easier and less painful to take shallower breaths but Whale had warned him that he could become ill if he only did this so he pulled in another two deeper ones and set off again towards the washroom door.

He tilted his head listening intently, had he heard someone yelling? There it was again, it was coming from the back of the diner, what was going on? Then he was moving as quickly as he could when he suddenly realized that it was Belle's voice he was hearing. He practically ran to the door and peered out, adrenalin pulsing through his veins making him forget the pain in his chest. His eyes roamed the small area and they finally fell on his friend, she was by the bins, she was still yelling but he couldn't see who she was conversing with from where he stood.

Belle raised her hand and stepped backwards.

"Don't touch me" she screamed out

Killian bolted forward, he had to help her but his jaw dropped in horror when he realized that it was the Crocodile that had been hidden from view. He snarled to himself as he carried on down the stairs. Gold was stuttering and flailing his hands around, he was talking too quietly for Killian to hear but he got the idea, he was trying to get Belle to forgive him again, well not this time. The Crocodile had hurt her one time too many as far as Killian was concerned.

"Leave her alone" he yelled as he hobbled across to where they stood.

"I suggest you leave" Gold growled "THIS has nothing to do with you"

"This has everything to do with me." Killian growled back

"I'm alright Killian" Belle put a hand on his chest to stop him moving any closer but she pressed a little too hard and he flinched.

"And just what are you going to do to me Pirate?" Gold suddenly looked smug as he lent on his cane "You can barely stand"

"I will stand well enough between you and Belle" he grit back and moved forward pulling Belle behind him

"You really think that I would hurt Belle?" the Crocodile threw back in surprise

"Well it's not like you don't have a history of killing the ones you claim to love" Killian threw back without thought, he was angry Gold had a way of making that happen.

Killian watched as Gold's smugness fell from his face, he didn't look smug at all now, now he looked livid but Killian puffed his chest out and raised his left arm up in defense.

"What? You think you can defend yourself with that?" Gold laughed out and Killian's eyes fell on his ruined arm, he had forgotten in the moment that he was minus his hook.

He adjusted himself so that he was leading with his right arm instead but Gold just laughed louder.

"When will you EVER learn Pirate, you can not beat me. I will always win and you will always lose. You are worthless scum and you have interfered in my life one too many times. If only Whale had managed to finish the job before the Savior killed him it would have saved me the job right now."

Gold moved too quickly for Killian to react as his cane surged up and connected with Killian's chin snapping his head back before it swung back around and hit him in the side of the head. Killian saw stars, he had no idea what way was up and what way was down but gravity pulled him anyway and he thumped on to the ground face first. He was in instant agony as every injury roared to life at once. He could hear Belle screaming and he could feel the cane hitting his back over and over but he could do nothing more than lie in a stupor as the darkness roared in.


	33. Chapter 33

**Will Hook be OK?**

 **Who will save the day?**

 **Let's find out shall we?**

Belle screamed louder but Rumple seemed to be too caught up in what he was doing to hear her.

"RUMPLE... PLEASE STOP" she tried to grab his arm but his cane just swung again and connected with Killian's back with a dull thud.

Without any thought of the consequences Belle threw herself forward across Killian's back, she needed to protect him otherwise Rumple was going to kill him. She glanced over her shoulder as the cane continued to fall and she screamed with the realization that Rumple was going to hit her but in a instant his face changed from one of pure hate to one of pure terror.

"Belle... I'm sorry... I would never have hurt you... I am so sorry" he stammered as he staggered backwards as the reality of the situation hit him.

Belle surged to her feet to face him as her anger boiled over, this had to stop.

"Too late Rumple, you already have. How could you do this?" she threw her arm out to point at Killian

"You heard him, he provoked me." he tried to justify

"No Rumple he was trying to protect me, he thought I was in danger" she glared back as she moved to kneel by Killian's head

"There was no need, I would never have hurt you Belle, you have to believe me" He looked so sorry but Belle had had enough now

"That's the problem though Rumple, I don't believe you, I don't know what to think... Not anymore. I trusted you once, I would have believed anything you said. I gave you my heart but YOU broke it. YOU did this not me. YOU ruined what we had in your quest for power when all I ever wanted was you" tears leaked down her face as she stared at him

He looked heartbroken and made to step forward "Belle... please"

"No Rumple... you need to go... NOW" she screamed out the last part, she couldn't deal with this right now, she needed to help Killian.

He looked like he was about to say something else but at that moment Killian started to come round, he gave a low groan as he tried to move.

"Shhhhhh... just lie still Killian. I'll get help." she soothed him as she dug in her pocket to fetch out her cell, she needed an ambulance as soon as possible.

She looked up to see Rumple still standing staring at her.

"You care for him" he said through gritted teeth.

"HE IS MY FRIEND" Belle yelled back

"He tried to kill you Belle!" Rumple was back to his exasperated tones

"Yes, he did Rumple but at least he learned from his mistakes. He realized that he was on the wrong path and he changed, he is a good man"

"He is a Pirate" Rumple spat back

"Yes, he is and I can live with that. Now leave" she turned her back to him and looked back at Killian as he tried to move again.

"Belle" he moaned "you a'righ'?"

"I'm fine Killian, just hang on" she was about to raise her cell to make the call when Emma's voice echoed across the small yard.

"HOOK?!"

Belle looked up to see Emma closely followed by David running towards her. Killian must have heard her too as he rolled himself over onto his back which elicited another groan as his obviously sore back met the ground.

"Swan?" he slurred

"Belle what happened?" David asked the minute he hit their side, he was on his knees in a second trying to get Killian to lie still.

"Rumple. After I left Granny's he approached me, he said he just wanted to talk. I tried to get away but he followed me. He said he needed my help to find the door, then he said that once he had found it that we could be together again and that we could finally get our happy ending. I told him that he was too late. The next thing I know Killian was there and he was trying to help me but Rumple did this, he would have killed him if I hadn't stopped him!"

Belle was shaking now as she watched David checking out Killian's head but the next thing that left Emma's mouth had her looking up in confusion.

"We need to get him to Whale" she said looking at David with worried eyes.

"I'm sorry... what?" Belle had surely heard incorrectly but the other two just seem to ignore her question.

Killian was trying to sit himself up now and David helped him but moved so that the Pirate was leaning on him instead of trying to support himself.

"Emma, you need to use your magic. Get Hook up to the loft, I'll go get him"

Who? Who was David going to get?

"Wait... what is going on? Who are you going to get?" Belle needed answers

"Long story. Come to the loft and I'll explain, I promise" Emma met her eyes and gave her a small smile before moving forward and taking Killian from her Father's embrace.

Killian was breathing heavily now, he didn't look very well as blood trailed it's way down his face from a cut just above his left eye brow.

"Hang on Hook" Emma whispered against his hair as she wrapped her arms around him.

David stood up and stepped back taking Belle's arm and pulling her with him. Belle was so confused now, what was going on? Emma gave one last worried look before she was enveloped in a cloud of white smoke, when it cleared all that remained in the spot where Killian had lain a moment before was a suspiciously dark looking stain on the asphalt.

"Go to the loft, tell Emma I will be as quick as I can." David yelled as he ran towards Main Street

"David... what's going on? Who are you going to get?"

"I'll explain later" was the last words she heard as he disappeared from view

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Emma appeared right by her bed, she was just glad that her magic had worked and she hadn't ended up lodged in a wall somewhere as she clung on to Hook. He seemed to have lost consciousness again as he slumped bonelessly against her front and she realized that she was going to need help to get him on the bed if she wanted to check his injuries.

"MOM...HENRY" she yelled out frantically.

She heard her Mom's surprised voice from downstairs and seconds later two sets of footsteps running up the metal staircase.

"Emma!" Mary-Margaret gasped out as she came into view "What's going on?"

"Gold attacked him when he was trying to protect Belle, help me get him on the bed. Dad has gone to get Whale"

They moved quickly and between the three of them they managed to lift Hook up, lying him down on top of the patchwork quilt. He was coming round again as they settled him down and he gave a groan as his back hit the bed.

"Hook, come on open your eyes, look at me" she slid herself on the edge of the bed and looked at his face hopefully.

"Swan? What happened?" he cracked his eyes open to look at her with a look of utter bemusement on his face.

"Gold attacked you, do you remember?"

"Belle!" he gasped out suddenly trying to sit himself up but she easily pushed him back down against the pillows

"She's fine Hook, just lie back. My Dad's gone to get help and Belle will be here any minute"

"What can I do?" Henry asked urgently

"Go and meet Belle when she gets here, she's going to need answers. Can you fill her in on everything from the door to Whale. Gold was trying to get her to help him find that damned thing, maybe she will help us figure out how to free the Author before Gold realizes that we know where the it is"

"Sure Mom" he gave her a smile but didn't move, his eyes were on Hook and she was just about to reassure him but the Pirate spoke instead.

"I will be fine Lad, my head is harder than it looks. Go and do as your Mother asks" he gave a weak smile but it was obviously enough for Henry as he turned and ran down the stairs.

"I'm going to get some water, we'll get you cleaned up in no time" Mary-Margaret gave Hook a smile then tried to give Emma a reassuring look but Emma's nerves were shot, would this ever end?

She looked back at Hook as her Mom walked away, his eyes had started to close again but she was not about to let him sleep until Whale had checked him out.

"Hey, no sleeping" she gave him a slight shake as if to emphasize the point but immediately let go when he hissed in though gritted teeth again at the move.

"What hurts?" she asked quietly

"What doesn't would be an easier question to answer" he replied peeking his eyes open before sighing loudly "My back mostly although my head has felt better"

"Is the pain in the same place as before? In your head I mean" she asked with trepidation

"No Love" he brought his hand up and tentatively placed his fingers on the gash above his eye and hissed again.

"Well that was pretty stupid" she quickly grabbed his hand and pulled it away before leaning over and looking more closely at the cut, it was not deep but a large goose egg had formed underneath it and it looked very sore.

Her eyes raked across his feature but when she took hold of his chin to tilt his head back he practically yelled out in pain.

"Sorry?" she cringed letting go quickly

"It would seem that I was struck there too" he said with his eyes still clamped shut.

This time she gently moved him so that she could see without touching him too much but with his beard she couldn't really see in the dim light. She quickly flipped on the lamp next to the bed and was happy to see that he didn't flinch away from it. She lifted it up and brought it forward so that she could see better and there on the left hand side of his jaw was an ugly purple bruise.

"Yip... definitely took a hit there too" she said with a wince, it looked painful.

Hook sighed deeply and his hand automatically moved his ribs.

"You hurt your ribs again?"

"I don't think so Love although it is hard to tell as every bloody part of me hurts" his eyes slipped shut again

"Hey, come on, open your eyes. Whale will be here soon." Emma hoped she was right, he'd gone quite pale again and she was worried.

He gave a tired smile but did as she asked. She could hear a commotion down stairs as Belle came in, Henry was talking quickly to her but the tone dropped as she heard him say that he would explain everything. Several minutes passed as Emma sat stroking the side of Hook's face, he seemed quite peaceful now but she was fully aware that they were going to have to disturb him when Whale got there. She was brought out of her musings by her Mom coming back in with a bowl of warm water that smelt strongly of disinfectant. She placed the bowl down on the bedside table and Emma immediately grabbed hold of the washcloth wringing it out before bringing it to the gash on Hook's head. He gave another hiss of pain as she cleaned it off but she couldn't do anything about that, it needed to be done.

"Sorry" she cringed again at the look on his face

"It's alright Love, it just stings a bit" he tried his best to not let the pain show but Emma wasn't buying it. What else had Gold done to him?

Emma looked down at him and in that moment regretted making him wear the sweatshirt, it was going to be painful trying to get it back off. Then an idea struck, she was not going to put him through that. She dropped the washcloth back into the bowl of warm water and moved to her chest of drawers returning a few seconds later with a large pair of scissors.

"I promise I won't force you into one of these again" she said with a chuckle as she brought the blades to the hem on his front.

"Good" he deadpanned back but his eyes were closing again, she ignored it knowing that once she truly got started that he would open them again.

The scissors made short work of both the sweater and the t-shirt that he wore underneath before she pulled the fragments free and tossed them to the side. Then she nodded to her Mom to help her, they moved the Pirate onto his right hand side exposing his back to the world. He was left gasping for breath again at the move and Emma felt her own chest tighten as she looked down at the bruised mess that was displayed. He had several clear, very purple welts across his upper back and one very bruised mark that looked decidedly like the handle of Gold's cane on his lower back.

Another commotion down the stairs had her turning as she heard her Dad calling her name.

"Up here" she yelled back

Seconds later David rushed into the room followed by Whale who was wearing a huge jacket, dark glasses and a hat. The Doctor didn't even pause he just threw off his disguise then got straight to work taking in the damage to Hook's back. Emma hugged herself as she watched the man work, he poked and prodded his way up and down Hook's spine but after a few minutes he seemed happy enough. He turned to David and asked for help to move the Pirate onto his back so that he could check his head and by the time he had finished a few minutes later Hook was shivering on the bed and looked like he was going to puke again.

"I don't think there is any major damage, he may have a mild concussion so keep an eye on him, wake him every hour until the morning, if he is sick or has issues waking call me straight away. The rest seems to just be deep bruising which will be very sore for a few days but the worst thing he can do is stop moving, make sure that he carries on with his exercises but don't let him overdo things either. I'll leave you with some more meds, he's gonna need to double them up until this settles down."

"Thanks Doc" Emma breathed out "Dad can you help me get him under the covers?"

"Sure" he replied turning to Whale as he walked across the room "If you give me a minute I'll run you back to the hospital"

"You could do me one better and take me home, he was the only patient I was able to see so I don't need to be there anymore. I can come back and check on him tonight after dark, being honest this will be the first time I've had time off work since... ever. I may take the time to relax, maybe go fishing"

To Emma's surprise just as she was pulling the covers up around Hook's front his eyes popped open and he spoke.

"Me and the Boy will take you out on the Jolly Roger, it is the least I can do after all you have done for me. Give me a few days to get back on my feet and we will head out"

Whale looked shocked but he quickly schooled his features into a kind smile.

"Thanks, that would be great" he looked genuinely happy

David walked back over to the top of the stairs and clapped the Doctor on the back.

"Come on" he said but then paused giving Whale a confused look "You do realize I have no idea where you live"

Whale rolled his eyes "I don't think anyone does. Which is probably a good thing I suppose, less likely to be seen"

Emma helped Hook to swallow down some painkillers then smoothed the quilt over his front, her Mom had left the room along with her Dad and Whale leaving her alone with her Pirate. He had closed his eyes again but she could tell that he wasn't sleeping by his deep breathing. She sighed and pulled herself onto the bed next to him kicking her boots off as she crawled towards the pillows, lying on her left she reached forward and took hold of his hand and just held it in hers. He kept his eyes closed but turned his head towards her.

"Thank you Love"

"For what?"

"Everything" he sighed out and Emma was happy to see that he had finally started to look more relaxed as the pain meds obviously started to work on his sore body.

"You might not be saying that when I have to wake you in an hour" she laughed out quietly

He just gave another tired smile before his breathing evened out in sleep. Emma pulled her cell from her jeans pocket and set the timer for an hour before tucking it under her pillow and closing her eyes too. She was exhausted and if she was going to have to be waking Hook up all through the night she may as well catch a nap now. She snuggled into her pillow and smiled to herself, this was not exactly what she had had in mind when they had left the hospital but they were finally home.


	34. Chapter 34

**A bit more suffering for our boy then some fluff... that is all**

David walked back into the loft nearly an hour later after dropping Whale off at home to find Mary-Margaret, Belle and Henry sitting at the table discussing the events of earlier. He looked around quickly expecting to see Emma but she was nowhere to be seen, he glanced up the staircase as he came to his wife's side and dropped a kiss on to her cheek.

"She still upstairs?"

"Yeah, I snuck up a few minutes ago and she is sleeping but it will soon be time to wake Hook up so I'm sure she will be down soon"

"It certainly won't do her any harm, I'm not sure how much sleep she's actually had over the last few weeks"

He headed to the kitchen and started making himself some tea.

"Anyone want a refill?"

Everyone shook their heads and as he carried on putting the teabag in his cup Belle got to her feet.

"I should really go anyway, I'll see what I can find out about this door and the Author, I'm sure I have seen a book somewhere, I just need to find it"

"There's no hurry Belle, you don't need to rush off" Mary-Margaret said getting to her feet too.

"No, I really need to go. I need to organize a few things for Whale's funeral... well not Whale's but THE funeral tomorrow. Granny asked me to help her with the buffet so I better not be late. This is going to be strange, making a buffet for an empty casket" she shook her head in disbelief at the situation.

"Well thank you for your help today and we are so sorry that we kept the truth from you but the less people who knew about it the better it was for Emma." Mary-Margaret added as she stepped forward and gave Belle a hug.

"It's OK, I totally understand. I'm just sorry that Killian got hurt trying to help me. Tell him I will come back and see him in a couple of days"

"I will" Mary-Margaret gave her her best smile as they walked towards the door.

David picked up the boiled kettle and poured himself a tea, he could really have gone with a beer but it wasn't even lunchtime yet so he'd stick with what he had. He picked up his cup and headed over to the couch and dropped down into it with a sigh as Mary-Margaret closed the door. He watched as she turned to face back into the room and lent against the door giving a loud sigh herself.

"You OK?" he asked quietly

"I will be. Henry can you do me a favor and go down to Granny's and grab something for lunch. I was going to make tacos but with everything that has happened I have run out of time" she walked to her purse and handed him some money "Make sure to get Hook something light, he'll probably not feel much like eating anyway but I don't want him left out"

"Sure Grandma" the Kid gave a smile as he took the money then grabbed his jacket and left

Mary-Margaret walked over and dropped down next to him with an anxious look.

"I can't believe that Gold did this. I mean, I know he hates Hook but I never thought that he would do anything to hurt Belle. I'm really worried now, if he is willing to do that to get to the Author what could he do to Emma?"

"NOTHING... we won't let him do anything to her. Snow we will stop him."

"I hope so" she gave him a sideways glance but just as she opened her mouth to talk again they both heard an alarm sound from the upstairs bedroom.

"I hope he's OK, he's been through so much already and this was supposed to be a happy day" Mary-Margaret sighed out

David had to agree, Hook had been through a lot and David was angry with himself for letting him go to the washroom by himself, if her had just gone with him none of this would have happened and they would have been sitting down to a nice meal instead of doing concussion checks.

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Killian stirred awake as Emma rubbed the side of his face, he was still very tired and he wanted to keep his eyes shut to block out the world until his head didn't hurt anymore but he knew that Swan needed to see that he was alright so he peeled back his eyelids and looked at her with a smile.

"Hey Beautiful" he croaked

"How you feeling?" she furrowed her brow in concern

"Tired" he replied as his eyes slid shut again "You alright?"

"I'm good. Go back to sleep and I'll wake you in another hour" she whispered

He sighed and settled back on to the pillows hoping that sleep would take him quickly but now that he was awake the pain in his head and back seemed to be pulsing in time with his heart and chasing away the peace that he had been enveloped in a few minutes before.

Emma must have thought that he had fallen asleep again a few minutes later as she slowly sat up and tried to get off the bed without disturbing him. His eyes popped open as he spoke.

"Swan?"

"Sorry, I thought you were sleeping"

"Where are you going Love?" he tried not to sound pathetic but wasn't sure if he'd pulled it off or not and right now he didn't care, he wanted her to stay.

"Nowhere now... I'll wait until you are sleeping" she whispered "Come on, close your eyes"

He closed his eyes again as she settled back by his side and took his hand in hers, he was very tempted to ask if he could have more pain medication but already knew what the answer would be and he didn't want to worry Swan anymore than he needed to so he remained silent. His mind wandered as he tried with all his might to get back to sleep but an image of Belles' face popped into his head and his eyes flew open again, had Gold hurt her too? Not thinking he sat up without warning, but his head spun and the pain in his back roared back to life, he was only saved the embarrassment of toppling off the bed by Swan grabbing hold of him and helping him to lie back down.

"Hey, take it easy. What do you think you are doing?" she asked harshly

"Belle? Swan... is Belle alright?" he gushed out, he needed to know.

"She's fine Hook. You asked that already, do you not remember?"

He didn't, not at all but she sounded really worried so he lied.

"Aye Love, sorry. I forgot for a moment, my head is quite muddled" he replied bringing his hand up and covering his eyes

"Hey, it's OK. You have a concussion I'm surprised you can remember anything at all" she stroked her fingers down the side of his face again and he lent into it. "Your head still sore?"

"Aye"

"Do you want an ice pack?"

"I want you to stay" he replied taking his hand away and looking at her in earnest.

"I'll get my Mom to bring it up, don't worry, I won't leave you" she gave a smile as she dug under her pillow and came back with her talking phone.

She typed out a message quickly and less than ten seconds later a reply came back.

"Mom will bring one up in a minute, come on, I'll sit you up a bit it might help with the pain."

She gently helped him to sit before fixing the pillows but she surprised him by then leaning back on the pillows herself and pulling him back into her arms. He sighed out as he settled against her warm body, she hugged him gently to her front and she was right, the pain in his head had lessened already with his new position.

A few minutes later he heard footsteps on the stairs and then hushed tones as Mary-Margaret came into the room.

"Do you need anything else?" Mary-Margaret whispered

Emma didn't speak, he felt her body move slightly as she shook her head but he was distracted as the cool ice pack hit the back of his neck in JUST the right spot and he let out a low groan of appreciation making Emma chuckle.

"I take it that's good" she whispered with a giggle

He hummed in agreement but now that the pain was not all consuming sleep was tugging at him again and he could not muster the energy to give more of a reply. Emma's hand came up an stroked the hair from his forehead and it was enough to help him relax even more, he gave one last sigh as the world slipped away and he feel back into sleep hoping that he would feel better the next time he woke.

As it transpired he did not feel better, even the next morning when he no longer needed to be woken every hour he remained in bed as the pain in both his back and head stole his strength away. He slept most of the day and all of the following night before waking and finally feeling better. He peeked his eyes open and took in the room, it was bright as a beam of sunshine shone through the window and when his eyes fell on the clock above the dresser he was startled to realize that it was nearly lunchtime. Where had the time gone?

His head instantly turned to find the space on the bed next to him empty... well Swan was not there anyway but to say it was empty would be an incorrect statement. He chuckled as he reached forward and lifted his very own chamber pot from the bedding, someone had been on his ship. There was a note taped to it that read.

"Just in case you need it. Be back soon xxx"

He pulled the note off and grinned to himself, she really was a wonder, his Swan. Deciding that he did indeed need to use the pot he pulled himself upright with a groan and took care of business before setting it down on the floor by his feet. He gave a tentative stretch and was happy when he realized that although his back was still sore he could move quite well.

He could hear voices in the main room down the stairs and he made the decision to join them. It was awkward to get himself off the bed as the only thing to hold onto was on his left and that was not an option he could take right now but after some maneuvering he was on his feet. Hobbling his way across the room he gripped the banister tightly in his hand a few minutes later. He could see the others sitting at the table below and as David's eyes rose up and fell upon him the Prince nearly spat out his drink across the table.

"STAY THERE" he yelled before jumping up and running towards him

"Calm yourself, I was about to ask for assistance" Killian complained, he wasn't a complete idiot.

"Yeah yeah yeah" was all he got back as the Prince took hold of his left side, David walked down the steps backwards slightly in front of him, it was very slow going but eventually Killian let out a sigh of relief when his feet fell on the flat floor.

Emma got up and met him with a huge smile on her face as David stepped back and handed him over to her to help him across to the couch.

"How are you feeling?" she asked as they walked

"Much better Love" he answered but by the time they had reached the couch he was beginning to feel the pain in his back throbbing again but as soon as he had he sat down Mary-Margaret appeared in front of him with his meds and some water to wash them down with.

"You want something to eat? I could do you something light, like some soup" she asked

He nodded his head as he drank down his water. "Thank you" he added when he finished as Mary-Margaret headed for the kitchen and lit the stove.

Killian leaned back into the couch but he sat forward again when Emma got up and walked away. He didn't even get a chance to ask her where she was going before she called out over her shoulder.

"Back in a minute, I'm just going to get you a top and a blanket"

He leant back and watched as she made her way up the stairs and out of sight, his eyes stayed on the space waiting on her coming back in to view and he jumped in surprised when David stepped in front of him pulling his attention to the Princes' face instead.

"You look like crap" David said with a chuckle

"Being honest Mate I have felt better" he smirked back

David glanced over his shoulder at the attic room before stepping forward and sitting himself down next to him, Killian turned his head and watched as the Prince leaned back with a sigh.

"Don't think that just because you had a concussion for two days and collected a few new bruises that I still won't kick your ass on that Xbox when Henry comes home from school"

Killian couldn't help it as the laughter burst from his mouth but he found himself grasping at his ribs as the pain flared leaving him gritting his teeth again trying to steady himself enough to make a retort.

"And don't think I'm buying that display, if you don't think you can win just say" David raised an eyebrow and gave a look of disbelief then grinned widely "this act is getting old, sort yourself out man"

The Prince scooted himself forward to sit on the edge of the seat and the grin fell from his face, David gave him a serious look then he clapped his hand on Killian's leg.

"It's good to have you home" David gave a quick smile before pulling himself to his feet and walking towards the kitchen as Emma walked back towards the couch.

"What are you laughing about?" she asked giving him a look as she dropped the blanket next to him and grabbed the t-shirt to pull over his head

"You have to help me Swan" he whispered in a low tone as she brought the t-shirt down over his face then wrestled his arms threw the sleeves

"Why? What's wrong?" she asked in concern

"I need to know how to beat your Father on that contraption of Henry's otherwise he will never let me live it down" he hissed quietly

"Ahhhh... that's easy" she smiled widely

"Really, how?" he asked excitedly

"Well I'll just make sure that we team up, me and you against Dad and Henry and they won't stand a chance... I am the Savior after all and NO ONE can fight dragons like I can" she gave him a wink as she threw the blanket over his legs.

He grinned too "I like how you think Swan, come sit next to me, we can talk tactics"

She settled herself by his side and they both looked across at the kitchen where David was watching them suspiciously while Mary-Margaret served up the soup.

"Let's show my Dad that Pirates can fight just as well as Royalty " Emma muttered so that her Father could not see her lips move "Although you only having one hand may be an issue, I guess we can even things up though. How do you think my Dad will take it when I tell him he has to have one hand tied behind his back?"


	35. Chapter 35

**Just a few chapters left now as I try to tie everything up. I'll be sad when it is finished but I am quite excited to start my next fic, I have the story arch pretty much set up in my head and it's going to be fun to write although I may wait until after the New Year to do it as I am going to be super busy over the silly season.**

 **OK back to this one... enjoy**

"You cheated... don't think that this is over Pirate, I demand a rematch"

"Mate, I cannot help it if I am naturally gifted in the art of combat. I believe in good form, I would never cheat"

"You distracted me RIGHT at the crucial moment!"

"I was in pain... you try having bits of metal holding your rib cage together and then sneeze, see how you fare"

"THAT was not a sneeze and you know it, once a Pirate always a Pirate"

"And just what is that supposed to mean, MATE"

"ENOUGH" Emma yelled out "Dad, you lost fair and square. Hook do not rise to his bait, he is trying to get a rematch but I am vetoing that RIGHT now, it's not going to happen. This was supposed to be a bit of fun and you two turned it into a nightmare. Henry got bored hours ago and left because you two wouldn't share. Now can you two decide what movie we are going to watch or am I going to have to do that too?!"

The two of them looked quite sheepish and Emma smirked to herself as she left them on the couch to go through the DVDs and walked to meet her Mom in the kitchen. She looked across and they were still eyeing each other suspiciously but at least they had stopped arguing.

"They are worse than children" Mary-Margaret giggled quietly as she met Emma's eyes.

"I don't mind really, it's good to see Hook having some fun, he enjoys the banter" she said then lowered her tone even further before adding "By the way, so not a sneeze" then grinned widely at her Mom

Mary-Margaret's jaw dropped open then she giggled "Well it serves your Father right for not letting Henry get his turn, when's he coming home?"

"He's going to stay with Regina tonight, that was the plan all along but those two don't need to know that" she raise an eyebrow then grabbed the bowl of popcorn and headed back to the couch.

"I will have to take your word for it Mate, I have no idea what you were talking about when you were explaining it" Hook said with a sigh as she sat down next to him.

"Emma will you tell Captain Killjoy here that "Inception" is a good movie"

"It is a good movie but do you not think it might be nice to watch something where the person that has just had a concussion won't burst a blood vessel trying to figure out the story line?" she gave her Dad a meaningful look and he sighed loudly before going back to the pile of DVDs on the floor.

"What about X-Men, is that alright for Wolverine over there" he asked nodding his head in Hook's direction.

"What do you think?" she said turning to look at the Pirate at her side

"I am happy if you are happy Swan." he gave her a tired smile and she knew that he wouldn't be seeing the end of whatever they watched.

"How about something a bit less intense, The Goonies?"

"Great, another Pirate, just what I don't need" David griped out but shut his mouth when Mary-Margaret gave him a death glare.

"Love, do not worry about me. If your Father wants to watch this X-Men thing then it is fine by me"

"You sure?"

"Aye Love"

"GREAT" David grinned widely and loaded the disc into the machine, he got to his feet and was just about to sit himself on the other end of the couch when he seemed to have a sudden thought.

"Back in a minute" he called as he ran towards the bed under the stairs.

Emma watched him as he disappeared into the wall closet and returned a second later with a large beanbag in his hands, she thought that he was going to settle himself down on it but was surprised when he stopped in front of Hook.

"Lift your feet"

"What?"

"Lift your feet. This couch is not the most comfortable thing to fall asleep on... I just thought... you know... Look, just lift your feet will you"

Hook quirked an eyebrow but did as he was told gripping his ribs gently as the movement obviously pulled on his side. David dropped the beanbag down and Hook settled his legs across it and a look of surprise appeared on his face as he realized how comfortable it was.

"Thanks Mate" he said in earnest.

"Just don't snore too loudly" David replied with a chuckle as he picked up the remote and started the movie.

The film started and the popcorn was shared out, Hook lasted longer than Emma thought he would but with about half an hour to go she felt his head tip onto her shoulder and she could tell by his breathing that he was gone. She pulled the blanket up around his shoulders, he tended to lose heat quite quickly when he was sleeping and she didn't want him to get a chill.

"He's done well today" her Mom whispered as she stood up and took the empty bowl of popcorn from her hands

"Yeah, he has hasn't he" Emma smiled back.

Hook was getting stronger every day and soon enough he would get the scaffolding removed from his arm. She had thought about broaching the subject of replacing his hook but every time she tried the words had died on her lips as she remembered the look on his face when she had first told him that his hook was lost to the elements. Maybe she would leave it for another day to speak to him about it... yeah, that sounded like a plan!

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As it transpired the subject was not broached until two weeks later when a letter from the hospital dropped through the letterbox to remind Hook that his appointment was scheduled for the following Tuesday to get the metal removed.

He read the letter and let out a sigh as he placed it down on the table top.

"What do you think Swan?"

"About what?" she knew exactly what he was talking about but it was his decision not hers

"The bloody weather! What do think I am talking about? My hook of course or my lack of it"

"I don't know Killian, it's gone."

"I know Love" he gave a sad sigh "I just don't know if I could wear a false hand full time, it just doesn't feel the same"

"Whatever you decide is fine by me, you need to do what is best for you"

He looked so sad as his eyes fell on the letter once more but he quickly looked up again and gave her a smile.

"Perhaps, I shall talk to Whale about it this afternoon when we take out the Jolly"

"That sounds like a good idea. They have really good ones now that look like the real thing"

"But it's not the real thing... and it's not my hook" he said with some finality and the conversation seemed to be over as he pulled himself to his feet and grabbed his jacket from the hook by the door. He was doing much better and over the last few days he had actually been managing to leave the house by himself to run short errands but today he was leaving for the whole afternoon as he was fulfilling his promise to take Whale fishing.

"Henry" he yelled "Are you ready to go Lad"

"Coming" Henry's voice echoed from the upstairs bedroom.

Hook smiled at her as he slid his left arm into his jacket first then shirked the right one into it only giving a slight wince as it pulled on his still healing ribs.

"Be careful out there" she said with concern "Gold and the others are not done looking for the door, just make sure that they don't see Whale and if there is ANY sign of trouble call me straight away, I can be there in seconds now that I have that particular bit of magic sussed."

"We will be fine Love. Whale spent the night on board and has promised not to come on deck until we are out of the harbor."

Henry rushed down the steps hauling his backpack up onto his back and he came up to stand at their side.

"God Kid, you are only going for one day. What have you got in there" Emma laughed out

"Just a bit of light reading" he grinned back.

"Lad, I'm not sure that taking your book is such a good idea. Not that I think we will run into any trouble but just in case, maybe you should leave it here with your Mother"

"I think Hook's right Henry. The last thing we need is that thing falling in the ocean"

Henry deflated but took the bag from his back anyway and dug the heavy book out and handed it over.

"I'll keep it safe, I promise. I might just spend the afternoon reading through the old stories, might be kinda fun" she smiled widely at her Son as he grinned back.

"Cool" he said zipping the bag back up and throwing it over his shoulder

"You got everything else?" she asked as she ruffled his hair

"Moooom, not my hair" he cried out

"Lad's got to keep up appearances Swan, you should never mess with the hair" Hook said with a smirk.

Her eyes automatically fell on Hook's own head, he'd had had his hair trimmed the day before and being honest if you didn't know any better you wouldn't be able to tell that they had shaved it a few weeks ago, he looked good.

"See something you like?" Hook quirked an eyebrow at her and his tongue poked threw his teeth as he gave her his best sexy Pirate look.

"Do we have to?" Henry complained as he grabbed the handle on the front door and yanked it open. "Can we just go already?"

"Sorry Lad, I'm not quite done embarrassing you yet" Hook said with a laugh but before Emma could ask what he was talking about he stepped forward and pulled her into a searing kiss.

"Gross"

Henry walked out of the door and headed down the stairs grumbling about not needing to see that which made both Emma and Hook laugh

"See you soon" Emma lent forward and kissed him again

"You can count on it" he spoke against her lips before leaning in and deepening the kiss

"COME ON KILLIAN" Henry's voice bellowed up the stairs.

He smiled against her lips then pulled back and she walked with him out on to the small landing.

"Calm yourself Jack, I will be there in just a second" Hooked yelled back

"Jack?" Emma asked in confusion

"Operation Jack-Tar" he said as if to explain but she was still confused, he gave a chuckle then carried on "It's a nautical term for a sailor, I am after all teaching him to sail am I not?"

"Jack-Tar huh? Well just make sure that Jack is back at a sensible hour or Mama Tar will not be happy" she gave him a serious look before adding "Be careful"

He stepped back and gave her a very impressive salute and said "Aye Aye" before he winked and took off down the stairs, he hit the next landing and looked back up at her with a wide smile on his face, he looked so happy that she smiled right back at him but he kept on going and was out of sight in the next few steps.

She smiled to herself as she stepped back into the loft but a crashing noise back in the stairwell seconds later had her rushing down the first few steps and leaning out over the banister to see what was going on.

"HOOK?"

"I'm alright Love, I just dropped something" he called back.

"Yeah, his butt down the last few steps" Henry's voice echoed up to her

"Traitor... you are supposed to be a part of my crew, you should NEVER undermine your Captain Lad, poor form" she heard Hook hiss

"Yeah well, I'd rather undermine you than my Mom, you don't give me my allowance" Henry replied.

Emma laughed to herself, she loved her life sometimes and right now it was doubly good, she had the perfect man and he loved her Son just as much as she did.


	36. Chapter 36

**Maybe only two or three chapters left now... this makes me sad!**

"Are you OK Killian?" Henry asked giving him a sideways glance as the walked towards the docks.

"Aye Lad, I will be fine. I'm just not used to these new shoes that your Mum bought me, they are a might slippier than the ones I lost at sea. I am sure once they are worn in they will be just fine."

Killian lied easily, a little too easily if he was being honest. His tumble down the last few steps had had little to do with his shoes and a lot to do with one of his damned dizzy spells. They had improved much over the last few weeks but always seemed to catch him unawares when they did hit and right now he felt fine so there was no need to worry the boy. Killian just hoped that one of those head aches did not follow, he had now suffered from two and both times they were after a dizzy spell. He gave Henry a reassuring smile as the lad still eyed him suspiciously then clapped his hand on the boy's back.

"I promise you Henry, I am quite well. There is no need to worry about me, today is all about fishing so let us go and get some bait and be on our way"

Killian waited outside the bait shop on purpose, he told Henry to ask the seller for the best bait for out on the open water then headed to sit on one of the benches. He sat heavily, automatically gripping his ribs as he settled himself down then glanced over his shoulder to make sure that Henry was out of sight before turning back around and gingerly pulling his left sleeve up to reveal the metal work beneath. He hissed through his teeth as his open shirt sleeve got caught and tugged painfully on his arm. He carefully unhooked the caught bit of fabric and sighed loudly when he pulled it back to reveal quite a large new bruise on his forearm and a few little trickles of blood that had leaked out from some of the entry points. When he had toppled on the stairs he had landed awkwardly but had covered it quickly by jumping to his feet and thankfully Henry had not noticed.

He pulled the sleeve back into place and hoped that he could find a quiet moment to inspect it further when he got on to the Jolly Roger, with a bit of luck Whale and Henry would be too distracted in their activities to notice if he headed below deck for a few minutes. Henry ran back into view a few seconds later and Killian stood up to meet him with his biggest smile plastered across his face.

"Did you get what you needed Lad?"

"Aye" Henry replied with a grin.

"I'll make a Pirate of you yet Lad" Killian chuckled as they walked towards the Jolly.

Killian's eyes rose up as he took in her glory, she really was the most beautiful ship he had ever laid his eyes on.

"Hello Beautiful" he breathed out as he gazed in wonder at his very heart and soul

"Hello yourself" Whale's voice carried from the deck snapping him out of his dwam.

"What are you doing?" Killian moved quickly up the gangplank and pushed the Doctor towards the door to the lower decks "You will be seen, then where would we be?"

"Hook, there is no one here. I am dead and quite frankly if we don't get underway soon so I can actually do something I may just consider yelling that I am alive from the rooftops just so that I can get on with my life or end it as the case may be"

"You will do no such thing MATE" Killian growled "That would put Emma in danger and I will not allow it"

Whale shirked out of Killian's grasp and looked him straight in the eye, had the man been drinking? "Well I suggest you get underway then" he said defiantly.

Killian's fist clenched at his side and the Jolly gave a low groan but Henry saved Whale hearing exactly what Killian thought of him as he ran up.

"Can I raise the anchor Killian? She is impatient to get under way" he grinned from ear to ear

"Aye Lad, that is the idea. Go, you know what you are doing, do you not?" he turned giving the lad an encouraging look.

Henry was moving in seconds and Killian turned back towards Whale.

"You do ANYTHING to put him in danger and you will have to answer to me. Now I suggest you go below deck and get yourself sorted out and that does not mean having a drink, not unless that drink is coffee" Killian jabbed a finger into Whale's shoulder just daring him to retaliate but it seemed that the Doctor realized that he was out of line.

"Sorry... I've just been a bit... you know... I feel like a dead man walking"

Killian's anger dissipated, the man was going through hell and he could relate to that, he'd been there himself many times before.

"Just sort yourself out. Henry has been looking forward to this, I don't want it ruined for him."

"I will." Whale assured him then headed through the door behind him disappearing from view.

Killian sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as a pulse of pain shot through him, great, just what he didn't need. He dug in his pocket to find his pain medication that Swan had made sure that he had with him just in case he needed it, he took out two pills and palmed them down his throat grimacing at the bitter taste before jamming the bottle back into his jacket and heading towards the helm.

"Come on then Lad, let us get underway. Do you want to steer her out of the harbor"

"Can I?" Henry replied in surprise

"Well that still remains to be seen" Killian added with a chuckle as Henry's eyes danced with excitement.

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Henry gripped the wheel tightly in his hands as they flew through the waves, the salt water spray clung to his clothing and dripped from his face but he couldn't be happier as the Jolly adjusted her bearings beneath his fingers.

"How does she know where to go?" he yelled out against the wind

"That is still a mystery to me Lad, all I know is that she seems to be able to sense it. Can you feel her, it's like she seeps into your very soul"

He could, he could feel her from the minute he had stepped on board. It was strange but very familiar, like being in the company of a very good friend and knowing what they were going to say before they said it. Henry just grinned wider as he looked out over the ocean in front of him but his grin turned into a frown of concern when her turned to look at Killian and saw his grimace as if he were in pain.

"What's wrong?" he immediately asked

Killian schooled his features and seemed to be annoyed that he'd let Henry see his inner thoughts but he gave a heavy sigh and looked Henry in the eye.

"I am fine Lad"

"I don't believe you Killian. Please don't lie to me" he begged, his voice full of concern.

"I am not lying Lad" Killian reassured him "I just have a bit of a headache is all"

"KILLIAN... why did you not say something? We could have done this another day" Henry's worry grew as he looked at Killian's face.

"I have taken something for the pain Lad, I will be fine."

Henry eyed Killian carefully, he looked a bit pale but apart from that he seemed to be fine as he suddenly came up to the wheel and took hold of it then pointed out to sea.

"See that island out there?" he asked quirking an eyebrow

"Yeah"

"We will anchor on the far side, Mr Smee once told me that it is a good place to find fish and if there is one thing Mr Smee excelled at it was finding a good food supply" he gave a hearty laugh

"Where is Dr Whale?" Henry asked as he suddenly realized that he was missing

"He didn't sleep well last night, I will wake him now. You just steer us in Lad"

"You're leaving me to do it by myself?!"

"No Lad, you have the Jolly. On this ship you will never be by yourself." Killian grinned at him then clapped him on the back and stalked off towards the lower decks.

Henry watched until Killian disappeared from view then spoke in a quiet voice.

"Don't make me look like an idiot" he whispered and as if to answer him he felt her tug the wheel and shift direction causing him to break out into another wide smile as he patted her center column gently "That's my girl"

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Killian headed towards his cabin knowing full well that Whale would not be there and hoping beyond hope that some of the medical supplies that had been brought over a few weeks before were still there. He hadn't really lied to Henry, his headache was mostly gone now and only the dull thud that quite often settled itself behind his eyes remained but what he hadn't told the Lad was that his arm was getting beyond painful now.

He lent back on the door as he stood looking into his cabin, someone had cleaned up since he was last there but the bag with the supplies in it was at the bottom of the bed. He rushed forward and picked it up before tipping the contents across the table quickly finding the wet wipes he was looking for.

He shucked his jacket quickly and sat himself down on one of the chairs before cautiously tugging back his shirt sleeve to expose his damaged arm beneath. How was he going to hide this from Swan? He looked down at the mess that used to be a neat piece of metal that ran the length of his forearm but now one end had come loose but the pins that pierced his skin were still stuck solid into the bone beneath. He tried to shove the metal bar back into place but hissed loudly when all it did was send waves of pain an nausea through him. Gods, he was in so much trouble when he got home.

He pulled open a wet wipe using his teeth and started to clean the dried blood from his arm but he got so lost in what he was doing that he failed to notice when the door opened until Whale spoke.

"What are you doing you idiot?" he yelled out causing Killian to jump in surprise

"Nothing" he said quickly pulling his sleeve back down and getting to his feet.

"Too late, I already saw it. Sit back down and let me see what damage you have done, I worked too long and hard to save that arm for you to ruin it now"

Killian sighed but did as he was told but before he let Whale loose on his arm he held up his hand to stop him in his tracks.

"Have you sobered up? The last thing I need is you making it worse"

"I wasn't drunk... maybe I had a few too many last night but I wasn't drunk" Whale exclaimed "Now let me see"

Killian pulled his sleeve back and watched as Whale moved in closely to look at his arm. He took his time scrutinizing the metal work but didn't touch it.

"How did you manage this?" he looked appalled at what he was seeing

"Does it matter? Can you fix it or not?"

"Not here, I would need surgical equipment. Being honest the bone is probably healed enough to remove the scaffold but the best I can do now is pack this out with gauze and wrap it but you will need to attend the hospital tomorrow to get the loose piece of metal and the pins removed."

Great, Swan was definitely going to be pissed. Whale moved quickly first cleaning his own hands with the sanitizer that David had used then using many wipes he cleaned the rest of the blood away. He then grabbed some dressings and carefully taped them over the loose metal work before binding the whole thing with a large bandage.

"That will have to do for now" he finally said standing up.

"Thanks Doc" Killian replied as he pulled his shirt sleeve back down to cover the bandage, Henry would be none the wiser.

"Can I fish now?" Whale asked with a smirk

"Be my guest, I think that we are just about there"

"You left the kid in charge of the boat"

"Ship and aye, I did. He is more than capable of guiding us to our destination." he replied as he grabbed his jacket and slung it back on.

The bandaging was doing it's job and the pain was finally one that he could deal with, he followed Whale out onto deck where three fishing rods were lying near the hold doors. Did Whale expect him to fish too, how was that supposed to happen with only one hand? Killian didn't mind really, he was happy just to watch as after Henry had successfully dropped the anchor the other two finally threw their lines into the water.

Henry chattered away and Killian smiled to himself as Whale tried to look interested but failed, clearly he wanted nothing more than some peace and quiet. Killian eventually took pity on the man and encouraged Henry to move with him to the other side of the ship to see if the fish were biting in a different part of the bay.

"He doesn't like Kids does he?" Henry asked him with a smirk

"I don't think it's a case of not liking them Lad, I think it's just that he doesn't know what to say. He is a complicated man to say the least, I mean who keeps their dead brother's body so that they can bring them back to life?"

Killian paused to think of Liam, would he have done the same if he had known that there was a chance to bring Liam back but he knew that he couldn't... wouldn't do that, Liam would not have wanted it. His eyes fell on the side of the Jolly where all those years ago he had dropped Liam's body over the side of the ship and into the waves below, sending him down into Davy Jones' locker, the only place that a sailor would want to be in death.

"Killian?"

"Aye Lad" he looked up at the boy who had a puzzled look on his face.

"The next time we come out, do we have to do the fishing part? I mean it's cool and everything but I much prefer the sailing part"

Killian kicked his legs up onto the rail and lent back into the rigging where he had managed to sit quite comfortably and smiled.

"I think that can be arranged Lad."

"Cool" Henry replied.

Killian closed his eyes and let the sunshine seem through to his bones, it was a cool day but sitting in their spot with the sun reflecting back off the water it felt nice, he felt at home... he had missed this.


	37. Chapter 37

**OK, so I am just typing up the final chapter now but I thought I would share this with you guys early. IF you want the last one, leave me a review and I'll see what I can do. I am sad that it is ending but all good things must come to an end.**

 **Enjoy :)**

Emma snuggled into the cushions on the couch with Henry's book balanced in her lap, she had never fully read the book and found the stories quite interesting although it did sometimes feel like reading someone elses diary. She sipped her hot chocolate as the door to the loft opened and her parents walked in.

"Hook and Henry not back yet?" her Mom asked glancing at the clock, it was nearly four and would be getting dark soon.

"Not yet, I'll give them until five before I start to really worry. They're probably just having fun and after what we have all been through I don't want to ruin it by checking on them" Emma replied sitting herself up and moving the book to the table.

She watched as David lifted the grocery bags up to place them on the counter and started unpacking them.

"What's for dinner?"

"Fish hopefully" David laughed but we've got a back up plan just in case they don't catch anything.

Emma smirked, yeah that would be just their luck. She just hoped that Hook got to talk to Whale about a new prosthetic, she hated seeing him so down every time he thought about it.

"How do you think Hook seems? I mean I know his injuries are healing but I'm worried about him. Does he seem down to you?"

"Emma he's been through a lot, he just needs time."

"I know but I just can't help think that he's hiding something from me. It's like he wants me to think that he is happy but deep down inside he isn't." she sighed heavily "Maybe I'm just imagining it"

David gave her a look of concern then walked around the counter sitting himself down on the small table in front of her.

"Emma, if you think something is wrong don't just dismiss it, trust your instincts. What do you think he is unhappy with?"

"His hook" she looked up at her Dad's confused face "Or lack of it. I think that there is more to the whole fake hand or no fake hand argument, he always just looks so sad when I try to talk to him about it then he changes the subject"

"And why do you think that is?" David asked raising a knowing eyebrow, since when did he turn into Jimney bloody Cricket?

"I don't know Dad... but you seem to think you do so spill"

David sat back and gave her a serious look "Say his name" he simply said.

"What?"

"Say his name Emma, just do it."

"Hook" she was very confused now, what did this have to do with anything?

"And there we have it" he gave her a wry smile before standing up and leaving her to her thoughts.

Damn it he was right, how could he be Hook with no hook? She had not even thought about it, that was just what she always called him, like he called her Swan but he wasn't Hook he was Killian and she was Emma. She had told him that she didn't care what he did because she didn't, she would love him no matter what but she hadn't thought about how he was feeling about the whole thing. He hid behind his moniker, used it as a shield to protect himself and she had dismissed it without much thought. God she was an idiot but maybe she could help him, maybe she could make this better.

She stood up suddenly and marched across to the front door, she grabbed her jacket and threw it on before turning back to her parents who had stopped what they were doing and both wore looks of surprise on their faces.

"I'm going to see Marco" she beamed and waltzed out the door not giving them anymore clues as to what she was doing.

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Killian watched in wonder as Henry steered the Jolly back into the harbor with ease, the boy could certainly sail, he was a natural. Being quite honest right now he was glad because he wasn't sure he would have been able to do it by himself, he was tired now, bone weary tired and he was cold too. The cool sea air bit through him as it blew against the salt water spray that clung to every part of him from their journey back but he smiled widely at the boy anyway as Henry adjusted the wheel slightly and then yelled out.

"Land Ahoy"

"I'll take it from here Lad, can you go man the sail?"

"Aye Aye Captain" Henry called as he ran off down the ship towards the largest sail getting ready to drop it when given the word.

The were moored ten minutes later and Henry was the most excited Killian had seen him in a long time.

"I can't believe we caught fourteen fish, do you think Granny might buy some from us?"

"That sounds like a very good idea Lad, why don't you run and ask her but mind and leave enough for dinner otherwise your Grandfather will not be happy" Killian said with a smile "I am just going to check her moorings then I will be done, don't be too long "

Henry took off down the gangplank and out of sight but Killian could still hear his feet on the wooden planks of the walkway until he hit the stone walkway.

"He's a good Kid" Whale's voice made him look up into the shadows "Don't worry, I'll wait until dark before I leave. I just wanted to thank you again for today."

"You're welcome" Killian gave a tired smile as he moved forward to check the last few ropes.

"I suggest you get home and have a bath to warm yourself DO NOT get that arm wet whatever you do. Then first thing tomorrow you need to go and see nurse Kyle, tell her I sent you. She is the only one to know the truth that I am alive, she will sort you out."

"I will and thanks again for fixing me up but if you wouldn't mind getting out of sight I would feel so much better"

Whale gave a smirk but didn't argue, he just walked through the door to the lower deck leaving Killian to finish his checks. He leant forward and gave one of the ropes a hard tug ensuring that it was secure but heard footsteps behind him again, he sighed as he turned.

"Mate, when I said to stay below deck I meant it..." but he trailed off as he turned and came face to face with Cruella

"Well well well, it seems the Swan bird has finally let her Pirate out of her sight" she purred as she pulled her coat up around her neck to keep out the cold

"Get off my ship" he growled as his jaw ticked in anger and he felt the Jolly lurch slightly beneath his feet, she was not happy either

"Oh Captain, relax. I didn't come for any trouble I just saw you here and wanted to see how you were feeling? This really is a lovely ship" she walked purposefully across the deck and stopped by the hold doors dropping down to sit on them.

He needed her off the Jolly as quickly as possible, he did not want her finding out about Whale so he just turned his back to her and marched off towards the gangplank.

"Well you stay and admire her then but I am not staying to listen to anymore of your nonsense" he grit out over his shoulder

"Suit yourself... maybe the Doctor will be better company anyway" she cackled and Killian's blood ran cold "You think that I am so stupid that I didn't realize quickly that Victor was very much alive and well. Imagine my surprise when I found out, Regina had been so convinced that Emma had killed him, it does make me wonder what happened to his heart. What do you think? Should I go check and see if it's back in his chest? Oh don't look so worried Hook, I have not told Gold, our goals do not always align you know"

Killian's mind was running at a million miles an hour, he couldn't let her anywhere near Whale and he had to warn the Queen that this infernal woman was onto her.

"I don't know what you mean. Whale is dead" it was lame and he knew it but he had nothing else

"Maybe I'm going about this wrong" she sneered at him "Maybe I should be asking the boy, he would perhaps be more willing to answer my questions"

Killian saw red, she was getting nowhere near Henry of that much he was sure, he marched across to where she sat and his hand found it's way to her throat in an instant.

"Leave the boy alone, this has NOTHING to do with him"

"On the contrary, this has EVEYTHING to do with him. You see, I was thinking about that book of his and that mysterious page with the picture of the door. I'd like a closer look at it, see it for myself so to speak" she spoke slowly trying to show that she was not intimidated by him so he squeezed harder

"You go anywhere near Henry and you WILL regret it" he snarled

"Careful Captain, your darkness is showing" she sneered back and quirked a brow at him

His hand let go without thought and he watched as her own hand came up to rub the spot where he had held her seconds before.

"You think that I am concerned by anything you have to say?" she laughed loudly before standing quickly and invading his space "You are no one"

He took a step back as she kept walking into him and she was clever too using her coat to cover up what she was doing as she drew her hand up and slammed her palm straight into his ribs. He hit the deck in a second as the agony rushed him taking away all his senses for a few seconds but he came back to himself as her foot landed on his damaged arm and made him squirm on the wooden deck.

"You seem to forget yourself Captain, I think even a puppy dog could best you right now." she sneered again "but as I said before I did not come here to cause trouble, you were the one that attacked me first."

Killian's eyes lost focus as she lent some more of her weight on his arm but in the next second the weight was gone and Cruella crashed to the deck next to him. He looked up in confusion to see Whale standing in front of him clutching an oar in his hand.

"Woof woof" he said at the unconscious woman "It seems that a puppy dog can best you too"

"Thanks" Killian grit out as he struggled to pull himself up

"You alright?" Whale said tossing the oar to one side quickly and helping him to his feet.

"I will be fine Mate but your cover is blown, she knows that you are alive and she knows that Regina is on our side I need to warn her" he tried to take a step forward but his head spun and the only reason he didn't hit the deck again was because Whale grabbed him.

"Sit down" the Doctor said guiding him to the hold doors "Take a minute and let me check you out"

That was where he was still sitting a few minutes later when both Henry and Emma came into view as they climbed the gangplank.

"Killian" Henry cried out

"Hook?" Emma ran to his side her eyes going wide as she stared at Cruella lying face down on the deck

"I am fine Love but we have a problem. She knows that Whale is alive, it seems she has also figured out that Regina is on our side. We have to warn her" he gave a hiss as Whale tightened the bandage on his arm

"What have you done?" she asked in concern

He was just about answer when Whale spoke.

"Cruella stood on his arm, he will need to get the scaffold removed sooner rather than later" he gave Killian a look, Whale knew that this hadn't been caused by that but he was covering for him, he'd be sure to thank him later. "Apart from that he's fine" the Doctor finished

"I'm going to call Regina now" Swan said as she stood up "We're going to need her help"

Less than five minutes later Regina had joined them instantly cloaking them using the same spell her Mother had used when he had first arrived in Storybrooke.

"This is not good" Emma bit her lip "I'm not happy about any of this, you need to get out of there Regina"

"Calm yourself Swan. It is not all that bad" the Queen raised a brow at her

"She knows everything" Killian reiterated "She said that she hadn't told Gold but can we really trust her?"

"Right now we don't have a choice. I am too close to give up now. I will just have to take my chances that she was telling the truth. A good memory potion should fix this mess quickly, she'll wake tomorrow and I will convince her that we spent the night drinking and I guess I will find out soon enough if Gold knows anything"

"I don't like this" Emma grit out

"You don't have to but it is my choice and right now it's the best one we have"

"She said that she wanted to look at the page from the book too" Killian said quietly so that Henry wouldn't hear "Do you think that the Crocodile is onto the fact that it is the door"

"I'm not sure, I will see what I can find out tomorrow but right now I suggest that we get everyone home where they should be. Emma can you manage to get Hook and Henry back to the loft?"

"Yeah, that I can do" she replied

"Good, I'll sort out this mess. Whale, you are going back to the hospital it is by far the safest place for you right now"

"Not arguing with you" the Doctor said raising his hand in mock surrender

"Unless..." Regina trailed off

"What?" Whale asked looking suspiciously at the Queen

"How do you feel about being a woman for a while?" she said with a sly grin

Killian chuckled at the look of horror on Whale's face so he spoke to put the man out of his misery.

"I think what the Queen is cleverly proposing is the use of a glamour spell" he raised a questioning brow at Regina and she smiled back

"Exactly right Captain. Now Doctor, would you prefer to be a blonde or brunette?" the Queen asked as she turned towards the still slightly shocked looking doctor with her hands raised into the air ready to create her very own monster and a smiled curled on her lips as she finally let het magic do it's work.

Everyone gasped as Whale transformed before their eyes but Killian shook his head with a chuckle, he had a feeling that the Doctor was not going to be amused.


	38. Chapter 38

**So here we are, the last chapter. It is a long one as I didn't want to split it in two.**

 **Enjoy**

Killian lent back with a groan and let the hot water wash over his aching body while making sure to keep his left arm on the edge of the bath to stop the fresh bandaging from getting wet. He was beyond tired and if he had not been so cold he would have much preferred to go to bed for a good couple of hours but instead he found himself trying to chase the chill from his bones.

"How you doing?" Emma asked as she gently moved his hair from his forehead

"Good" he sighed out before opening an eye and looking at her with a mischievous look "I'd be better if you joined me!"

"Sorry, not going to happen tonight. Not with my Parents on the other side of that very thin glass, maybe next time plus I don't think you're in any fit state to enjoy it" she added with a giggle

"You may be right Love BUT I am holding you to that, next time!" he closed his eye again as the water soothed his weary bones.

"I'm going to help with dinner, you alright by yourself?"

"Aye Love, I'll not be long"

She lent over and kissed him gently on the lips, she was just pulling away when Killian scooped his hand quickly from the water and splashed it down her front grinning widely as her mouth dropped open in shock.

"You will pay for that" she laughed grabbing his towel and wiping her face

"I'm counting on it" he replied with a wink

She just tossed the towel back onto the chair and grinned at him before heading out the door. He settled back and enjoyed the heat for a few more minutes before deciding that he should wash and get out. He picked up the bottle of shampoo that Swan had left for him and tried to uncap it but it was screwed on too tight, damn it. He tried again this time using his teeth but still it wouldn't budge, he moved the bottle between his knees and tried again but still could not get it open, this was getting infuriating.

"SWAN" he called out, he would need her help if he was to get his hair washed sometime that night.

He carried on trying to loosen the bottle as he waited on her coming into the room and when the door opened a second later he didn't even look up.

"I cannot get the lid off of this damn bottle" he complained

"Hand it here" he froze instantly when it was not Emma's voice that answered.

His head turned quickly to find Mary-Margaret standing by his side with an innocent look on her face.

"What are you doing?" he cried out trying to make sure that the bubbles were keeping him covered.

"Helping you with the shampoo if you'll hand it over" she said in a sickly sweet voice

"This was her idea wasn't it?"

"I don't know what you mean" Mary-Margaret smiled sweetly but her eyes dropped down onto the bubbles that covered his lap.

"SWAN..."

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"You really are going to sulk all night?" Emma asked half an hour later as they sat down to eat

"Your Mother was like a predator in there" he hissed back glancing towards the kitchen where her parents and Henry were serving the food

"Hook she was only trying to help"

"Yes, help herself to a look at my..."

"ALRIGHT" she hissed back "OK, I admit it, I sent her in. It was a joke that you obviously didn't find very funny can we move past it please?"

He could see that she was sorry and he was too tired to carry this on, all he wanted was to eat his meal and go to bed.

"Aye Love, sorry, I am just tired." he said as he lent his head into his hand

"I'm sorry too" she said furrowing her brow in concern "Your head hurting?"

"A bit but it's nothing that a good nights sleep won't fix" he replied with a tired smile.

The meal turned out to be delicious, it had been a long time since Killian had had freshly caught fish but as much as he would have liked to remain downstairs and spend time with the Charmings he was too tired.

He sat back in the hard chair trying to gather enough energy to carry himself up the staircase but Emma could read him far too well.

"Come on." she smiled "Lets get you to bed"

He was already in his nightwear, he had put it on when he had climbed from the bath an hour before so it wouldn't take much but he was really tired, perhaps he had done a little too much in one day. Emma helped him to his feet and he wearily made his way back to the washroom to take care of business before brushing his teeth and meeting Emma back at the foot of the stairs. He had been managing just fine to climb them himself but today was different.

"Need a hand?" she asked in a cautious tone

"Always" he laughed out but he let her take his left arm gently in her hands anyway

"That's not what I meant and you know it" she chastised

"Night" Henry called out from behind him "Thanks for today, I had fun"

Killian turned just before he started to climb and gave the boy a wide smile

"Me too" he gave Henry a nod "G'night Lad."

They moved slowly up the staircase and towards the bed where Killian slid himself beneath the covers quickly, the cool sheets felt like a welcoming home as he finally relaxed his aching frame. Emma moved to the window and drew the curtains shutting out the street lights and sending the room into darkness with only the warm glow from the main room below casting ghostly shadows across the walls.

Emma walked back to the bed and threw herself down next to him before carefully curling herself into his side. He tugged her into himself as his hand came to rest on her hip and they just lay in silence for a while but it didn't last.

"Did you speak to Whale about the prosthetic?" her cautious voice spoke into the darkness

He didn't want to talk about this right now, he just wanted to hold his Swan by his side and not think about it. He knew that he would have to face the decision before too long and ultimately he would never be the same man again but right here, right now he just wanted to sleep.

"No and I don't really want to talk about it right now" he said gently "I know you are just trying to help Love but I am just too tired, can we discuss it another day?"

"Whenever you are ready to talk to me you know that I'm here, right?"

"Aye Love, thank you" he murmured back

The fact that the metalwork was being removed in the morning was enough to have his mind retreating, he didn't want to think about it, he didn't want to have to deal with it. He didn't know who he was supposed to be anymore, he certainly wasn't Hook but he wasn't Killian Jones either. With a loud sigh he pulled Swan closer, he dropped a kiss on the crown of her head and he held her tightly. He may not know who he was but he was exactly where he was supposed to be.

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The next day dawned and Killian awoke with a groan as the pain in his chest flared painfully from where that damned woman had hit him, his hand automatically came up to clamp itself over his ribs as he opened his eyes to find the bed beside him empty. He frowned deeply and looked around the room but Swan was nowhere to be seen. His eyes flicked to the clock and he noted that it was only six thirty, where was Swan?

He flopped back onto his pillows as he pulled in a deep breath, now that he was awake he knew that he would not be returning to sleep anytime soon so he threw back the covers and sat himself up. He rotated his sore shoulder in it's joint a couple of times trying to knock the stiffness out then pulled himself to his feet only giving a slight wobble as his head tried to adjust to his new position.

Ten minutes later fully dressed he headed down into the room below, Mary-Margaret and David still slept peacefully in the bed under the stairs and Henry slept soundly on the couch. Killian did feel guilty that the boy had given up his bed to give himself and Swan a bit of privacy but was also quite glad at the same time, there had been more than one occasion when they had made a bit too much noise in their attentions to one another and if the boy had been in the room too it would have just felt wrong.

He looked to the bathroom expecting to find Emma there but was surprised when the door stood open, strange! He looked across to the kitchen and he saw a piece of paper taped to the refrigerator with his name on it so he walked across and tugged it off turning it over and read.

"Got a call out, I will be as quick as I can. Whale called last night and said to be at the hospital for nine. If I'm not back in time my Dad is going to drive you, I will meet you there, I promise"

He sighed and dropped the note onto the counter, he needed to think, he had wanted to talk to Swan but she was not here. Making his decision he walked to the front door quickly, he grabbed his jacket and left the loft. He would make his own way to the hospital, the last thing he wanted was David trying to cheer him up.

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Emma walked back into the loft just before eight with a wide grin on her face, she looked at her parents as they busied themselves in the kitchen.

"Is he awake yet?" she asked anxiously

"Nope" David grinned back

Emma dropped her bag by the bottom of the stairs and ran up to the bedroom, she would need to wake Hook if they were going to make it to the hospital with time to spare. She was still grinning to herself when she hit the top step but it slid from her face when she realized that the bed was empty. What the Hell? Where was he? She turned around and rushed back down into the other room.

"He's not there" she called

"What?" her parents chorused

"He's gone. What time did you guys get up?"

"About seven and Henry never said that he had seen him before he left for school." Mary-Margaret replied with a worried look.

"Call him" David said urgently

"He doesn't have a cell, I haven't got round to getting him a new one yet. Damn it Hook, where are you?"

She tried not to worry but it was hard, he was out there by himself when they still didn't know how much of their plan Gold knew. She just hoped that he was not stupid enough to miss his appointment.

"I'm going to drive around and see if I can find him, if I can't I'll head to the hospital for nine and hope that he shows up. I could strangle that man sometimes" Emma groused as she grabbed her bag and headed for the door

"Call us" Mary-Margaret yelled after her but she didn't stop, she needed to find her Pirate.

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Killian walked through the hospital doors sometime later still not any clearer on his decision. Part of him wanted to fit in with everyone else and that would mean having a false hand but another part of him wanted the world to see his deformity and be repulsed, that was the reaction he was used to, that was what he fed off, it felt safe and familiar but maybe it was time for a change.

He walked through the corridors slowly towards the area where he knew Whale would be waiting for him and plonked himself down with a sigh onto one of the chairs and looked up at the clock. He had a few minutes to wait but he was impatient, he just wanted this done.

He was pulled from his musings when Emma appeared through one of the treatment room doors to his left, why had she been in there?

"You're here" she said in relief

"Of course, where else would I be?" she replied as he stood up and hugged her

She gripped him tightly for a few seconds then pulled back.

"I came back and you were gone. I was worried"

"I am fine Love, I just needed time to think" he replied trying his best to give her a smile against the nerves in his stomach.

"Well there is plenty of time for that later, you know you don't need to make any decision today. Come on Whale is waiting" she said with a wide smile but she was acting strange, what was going on? And what was that smell? He thought he recognized it but couldn't quite place it.

"Are you alright Love? You seem... different" he asked quirking a brow

"I'm good, lets just get this done and then you and I are having a nice lunch then maybe a walk in the park." she gave him a little smile that morphed into a wicked grin as she leaned in and whispered "I've booked into Granny's for the night so the quicker we get this over with the quicker we can get on with our day."

"Truly?" his jaw falling open, they were going to get some alone time!

"Yep, come on Pirate"

She took his hand and pulled him into the treatment room where Whale stood wearing green scrubs but Killian couldn't help the laughter that left his lips.

"Do not laugh, this is not funny" Whale complained with a sickly sweet southern accent, his blonde hair fell in ringlets down his back from his high pony tail.

Killian had to hand it to the Queen, she really did know how to create a beautiful woman as Whale stood in front of him. He was about the same height as Emma but had a much curvier figure and cheek bones that could rival the Queen herself. He looked good... until he walked and it became clear that he moved EXACTLY like a man walking in heals, Killian just grinned wider as he laughed internally.

"Whale" he greeted in a low tone trying to keep his features steady.

"Apparently not anymore, my name is Mary now, Mary Shelly to be precise. Very amusing for all I am sure" he grumbled

Emma laughed quietly by Killian's side

"I feel I owe you an apology Miss Swan" Whale said suddenly looking very serious in the moment

"Me? Why?"

"I have come to realize quite quickly that being a pretty lady in this town draws a lot of attention and quite a lot of that attention is unwanted and I realize that I MAY have participated in some of that attention at some point or another" he looked uncomfortable as he spoke

Emma's jaw dropped so Killian spoke instead

"Well it does seem that the Queen knew EXACTLY what she was doing when she turned you into a woman" Killian chuckled "I am glad to see that you have realized the error of your ways"

"Yes, quite" Whale replied before turning into the room and motioning for Killian to sit down.

"OK, Now I hope you don't mind but I will lie you back a bit just in case you have a reaction to the medication" Whale said with a chuckle

"Yes Mate, very funny." Killian groused, he just wanted this done.

"OK keep your pants on." Whale replied in his sweetest tone and batted his eyelids before carrying on "I am going to give you an injection into the your arm, it will numb the whole bottom section so that you cannot feel the pins being removed. You won't feel the pain but you will be able to feel movement, it can feel quite strange but I will be as quick as I can."

Killian sat down on the chair and Whale quickly reclined it before swinging a small table down next to his side. He watched as Whale lifted his arm and lay it across the cold metal surface but it would seem that Emma did not want a repeat of the last time he had watched Whale work on him as she spoke to get his attention.

"Hey" she took hold of his hand and tugged him slightly

He turned his head towards her and gave her a smile.

"Hey yourself" he replied

"So. Where do you want to go for lunch then?"

"What are the options? I have only ever been to Granny's or that other place we went on our first official date but if I remember correctly the menu was maybe a bit too extravagant for our intentions today"

"Well, let me see... there is Granny's... Granny's or Hmmmmm? Granny's!"

Killian laughed at her obvious attempt at humor but his attention was pulled away when there was a sharp pain in his arm, he glared at Whale but the Doctor didn't even look up.

"Sorry, should have warned you. Your arm will start to feel numb in a few seconds. Do not look this way, I don't want a repeat of last time"

Emma's hand hooked his chin and moved his gaze back to her face.

"It will be over soon"

"Aye Love" he smiled back, she was a perfect image of beauty as she perched by his side and in that moment he realized that she would never leave him. It did not matter what anyone else in the world thought as long as she was with him. "I have made a decision"

"Really?" her eyebrows shot up in surprise

"Aye. I may no longer have my hook but I am not yet ready to be "Captain Hand", I think that I leave it a while, see how things go but for now I will just be me" he said nervously voicing his decision for the first time

"I think that is a very good idea. It's a big thing Killian" she smiled sweetly but he winced internally

"Hook Love. I will always be Hook to you as you will always be Swan to me"

She grinned widely and squeezed his hand lovingly. He tried to forget about what was going on his other side but Whale was tugging and pulling his arm so much that the whole chair was wobbling and he was starting to feel quite faint again. He pulled in a deep breath and started talking, trying to take his mind off his arm.

"There is one thing that has been bothering me since last night" he said letting his brow fall in to a frown.

"Go on?" she squeezed his hand again and he carried on.

"Something that Cruella said. She told me that my darkness was showing and in that moment she was right Love. You have no idea how easy it is to fall back into the darkness."

"Whatever mistakes you have made you have fixed." her eyes danced with sorrow for him

"Aye but it a stark reminder of something"

"What?"

"With all this talk of Authors and the book... We've never discussed one fact... I was a villain."

"But you're not anymore" Emma tried to sooth him

"Neither is Regina but she still lost her happy ending. If we're to believe the rules of the book then it's only a matter of time before I lose mine"

Emma looked shocked "Wait... if you're afraid of losing your happy ending that means, you've found it. What is it?"

The look on her face made his heart clench, she really had no clue.

"Don't you know Emma? It's you"

Tears instantly sprung into her eyes and she pulled herself to her feet leaning in gently and kissing him tenderly. His eyes stung with his own tears, fear and joy in his heart all at once. He did not EVER want to lose this woman that held him in her arms right now.

"OK. As much as I want to gush over this beautiful moment I'm done making another one just over here"

Emma stepped back and laughed as she scrubbed the tears from her face and Killian mimicked her before blinking the remaining wetness from his lashes and turned his head to have a look at his now metal free arm but his breath caught in his throat and more tears instantly formed as his eyes fell on his very own hook reattached to his still slightly swollen arm.

"What? How?" He slowly bent his arm and raised his hook into the air, it felt strange, the weight felt odd after so many weeks of not being there but it looked just as good as it ever did. He turned quickly to Emma who was smiling by his side. "I don't understand Love. I thought that it was lost"

"So did I but I was willing to look for it, for you. I went back to the cove and it was still wedged in the tree. Marco had lent me some tools to free it but it was quite weather beaten, I didn't think that we'd be able to use it but when I returned the tools Marco assured me that with some love and attention he was sure that we could restore it to it's former glory. That's where I was this morning and that is why I stink of leather conditioner"

"You did this for me?" he asked in awe

"When will you get it through that thick skull of yours? I would do anything for you. We might have a battle or two in front of us but we also have battles that we have fought together behind us that made us stronger than ever. I don't know what the future holds HOOK but the one thing I know is that you are not a villain, not anymore and I am not going anywhere so we better start looking for a way to free that Author from the book so we can put an end to Gold's plan and get on with living out our happy ending" she smiled sweetly as more tears tumbled down her cheeks

He couldn't contain his smile or his tears as they cascaded down his face all witnessed by Whale but Killian didn't care he just pulled himself from the chair and tugged Emma into his front as his lips crashed into hers. She was right, no one knew what the future held but he knew one thing for sure, he would take on the world to ensure that Swan stayed by his side for the rest of their days.

 **Well that is it... all done. We can carry on from the next episode now with only the issue of Whale being a woman still to be addressed but hey, you can all imagine what happened there and you can laugh to yourselves that you can almost lay money on the fact that Regina made him stay as a woman as long as humanly possible :D**

 **Thank you all so much for reading and please please please leave a review. See you all on my next fic xx**


	39. New Fic

Note to you guys...

I have stared my new fic it is called

 **Ad Litteram de Libris, Literally out of the books**.

Please find it and enjoy, I hope to have regular updates but with Christmas nearly upon us I hope that you will give me a bit of leeway.

Many Thanks too all of you who gave me ideas. I hope you will all enjoy this new story.

Merry Christmas to all.


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